A person who laced treats with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two boys who were nine and ten years old.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The 76-year-old, from that region, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The man engaged in a "candy game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel said, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had played this game with the children "for many years", and children had previously become sick the following morning.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "In the summer" his family member had worries about the activities, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said objects including infant oil, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the police about his concerns.
She explained Ruben continued to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that night - July 26th - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that time," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining the police response of the events.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson called the law enforcement again.
She explained Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five minors.
