A man who laced sweets with sedative and gave them to children at a summer program in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The 76-year-old, from that region, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
However, he disputed one particular crime he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were participating in a summer program which he operated.
The man played a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She stated the man had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his stepson had worries about the situation, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor said objects including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the authorities about his suspicions.
She explained the man continued to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that point," she added.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing the police response of the incident.
The prosecutor stated the minors were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the family member called the police a second time.
She stated the man then played the "candy game" in a area of five minors.
