A person who spiked sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a youth camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two boys who were nine and 10.
The defendant was detained after eight children and one adult fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from that region, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the judicial center on Friday.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, detailed the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer program which he managed.
The defendant played a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor stated, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the defendant had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She explained the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC said materials including infant oil, ointment and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the defendant continued to engage in the "treat game" with six youngsters that night - that Saturday - and they were all ill the following morning.
"The police had not arrived by that point," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was examining the police response of the situation.
The prosecutor stated the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the family member notified the law enforcement a second time.
She explained the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a space of five minors.
