Man pleads guilty to sexual crimes against children at summer program

A person who spiked sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to youngsters at a summer program in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two children both between nine and ten.

The accused was taken into custody after eight youngsters and one adult experienced illness at the facility in mid-summer.

The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the judicial center on Friday.

However, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old boy.

The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.

'Treat game'

Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.

She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.

The man conducted a "candy game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior said, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to ingest treats "rapidly".

She told the court the man had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and children had previously fallen ill the next day.

She explained the man had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in July 2025.

The prosecutor continued: "This year his family member had suspicions about what was going on, for good reason.

"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."

The legal counsel said objects including baby oil, ointment and medical needles were located, and his stepson alerted the authorities about his concerns.

She said the man continued to play the "candy game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the next day.

"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she added.

The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining the police response of the situation.

Mrs Prior said the children were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson called the police a second time.

She explained the man then played the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.