An individual who laced candy with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a youth camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two children both nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on recently.
Yet, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was remanded in custody before a further hearing on late November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his those affected were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer camp which he managed.
The man conducted a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor stated, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to eat sweets "rapidly".
She told the court the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "This year his family member had suspicions about what was going on, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC stated materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the authorities about his concerns.
She explained the man continued to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was examining law enforcement's management of the situation.
Mrs Prior stated the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the family member contacted the law enforcement once more.
She explained the defendant then played the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
