🔗 Share this article Person pleads guilty to sex offences targeting young males at summer program The defendant confessed to 17 criminal counts at the judicial center on the end of the week A man who spiked sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males who were nine and 10. The accused was detained after eight minors and a grown-up experienced illness at the facility in the summer month. The elderly man, from that region, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the judicial center on Friday. However, he disputed a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was involving a young boy. Ruben was remanded in custody ahead of a subsequent court date on late November. 'Candy game' Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described the criminal behavior to the court. She said his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer camp which he managed. The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior said, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and ask them to consume candy "as fast as possible". She told the court the man had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning. She stated Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025. Mrs Prior KC continued: "This year his stepson had worries about what was going on, for good reason. "They resolved" to examine in the defendant's belongings." Mrs Prior KC stated materials including baby oil, Vaseline and syringes were found, and his stepchild contacted the police about his concerns. She said the man continued to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day. "The police had not gone out by that point," she added. The oversight body, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the events. The prosecutor stated the children were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the stepson called the authorities a second time. She explained the man then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five youngsters.