An individual who laced candy with sleeping medication and provided them to youngsters at a youth camp in the area has admitted sexual crimes against two children who were nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and an older person fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from that region, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was facing, which was involving a young boy.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, described Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to consume candy "rapidly".
She told the court the man had conducted this practice with the young males "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She said the man continued to engage in the "treat game" with six children that night - July 26th - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that time," she added.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor said the children were unable to walk properly due to their condition, so the family member contacted the police again.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five children.
