A man who laced candy with tranquilliser and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and one adult experienced illness at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from that region, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on the end of the week.
However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was involving a young boy.
Ruben was held in detention before a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a youth camp which he operated.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had engaged in this activity with the young males "for many years", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said Ruben had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor added: "This year his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, for good reason.
"They decided to investigate in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel explained objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his stepchild alerted the authorities about his concerns.
She said the man went on to play the "candy game" with six boys that evening - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the incident.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the family member called the law enforcement once more.
She said Ruben then engaged in the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
