Man pleads guilty to sexual offenses involving children at summer camp
A man who contaminated sweets with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer program in the region has admitted sexual crimes against two children aged nine and ten years old.
The accused was arrested after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
Yet, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on late November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the court.
She explained his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a summer program which he ran.
The defendant conducted a "sweet game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to eat sweets "rapidly".
She told the court the man had played this game with the children "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had suspicions in recently.
The legal representative added: "This year his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to have a look in the individual's items."
The prosecutor explained items including lubricant, ointment and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the police about his concerns.
She explained the defendant went on to play the "candy game" with six children that night - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not gone out by that stage," she added.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
The prosecutor explained the children were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the police once more.
She stated the man then conducted the "treat game" in a space of five youngsters.
