A person who spiked candy with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a youth camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and one adult became sick at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
However, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a further hearing on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, described the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She explained his targets were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer program which he managed.
Ruben engaged in a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and tell them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the next day.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor added: "This year his stepson had concerns about the situation, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to examine in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel said objects including lubricant, Vaseline and syringes were located, and his family member alerted the authorities about his worries.
She said Ruben continued to engage in the "candy game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that point," she continued.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
The legal representative said the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement once more.
She explained the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
