A person who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the area has admitted sexual offenses against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
The accused was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult became sick at the facility in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from that region, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he managed.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She told the court the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "for many years", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the man had been able to explain this for many years as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had concerns in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said items including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his family member alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She explained Ruben went on to engage in the "candy game" with six boys that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the following morning.
"The police had not gone out by that stage," she continued.
The oversight body, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was investigating the police response of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the authorities again.
She stated Ruben then played the "treat game" in a space of five minors.
