An individual who laced sweets with tranquilliser and provided them to children at a summer program in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two boys who were nine and 10.
The accused was taken into custody after eight children and an older person fell ill at Stathern Lodge 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.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
Ruben played a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge Ruben had conducted this practice with the boys "for many years", and children had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She explained Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "This year his family member had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They resolved" to examine in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC said items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were located, and his family member alerted the police about his worries.
She explained the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the incident.
Mrs Prior stated the minors were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement again.
She said Ruben then played the "treat game" in a room of five minors.
