A person who spiked candy with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer program in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two boys both between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at the location in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from that region, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on recently.
However, he disputed one particular crime he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She said his those affected were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had conducted this practice with the children "repeatedly", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said the defendant had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had concerns in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his stepson had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to examine in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC explained objects including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his family member alerted the authorities about his concerns.
She said Ruben continued to engage in the "candy game" with six youngsters that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that stage," she continued.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was examining the police response of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the family member contacted the authorities a second time.
She said the man then played the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
