An individual who laced treats with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males both nine and ten years old.
The accused was taken into custody after eight youngsters and a grown-up became sick at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on Friday.
However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She explained his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a youth camp which he operated.
The defendant conducted a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to consume candy "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the young males "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC added: "This year his stepson had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They chose" to have a look in the individual's items."
The prosecutor stated items including baby oil, Vaseline and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson contacted the police about his suspicions.
She said the defendant continued to play the "sweet game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that stage," she continued.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining the police response of the situation.
Mrs Prior stated the children were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement once more.
She stated the man then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
