Man admits sexual crimes targeting children at summer program
A man who laced candy with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two young males who were nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he was present at the judicial center on Friday.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention prior to a further hearing on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The defendant conducted a "treat game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to consume candy "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had worries in recently.
Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were located, and his stepchild notified the police about his worries.
She said the man proceeded to engage in the "sweet game" with six boys that evening - that Saturday - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that point," she continued.
The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
The legal representative explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She said Ruben then conducted the "candy game" in a room of five minors.
