A person who spiked sweets with sedative and gave them to children at a summer camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two young males who were nine and 10.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from that region, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a young boy.
The defendant was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel stated, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the man had engaged in this activity with the children "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She explained Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in summer 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "This year his stepson had worries about the activities, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were found, and his family member notified the police about his worries.
She said the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the following morning.
"The police had not responded by that stage," she added.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was investigating the police response of the events.
The legal representative explained the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She stated the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a space of five minors.
