A person who laced sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the area has admitted sexual offenses against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was detained after eight children and an older person became sick at Stathern Lodge in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Nevertheless, he denied one particular crime he was accused of, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was remanded in custody before a further hearing on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She explained his those affected were under-privileged children who were participating in a youth camp which he operated.
The defendant conducted a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the next day.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor added: "This year his stepson had suspicions about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor said objects including infant oil, ointment and injection devices were located, and his family member contacted the police about his worries.
She said the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six boys that evening - July 26th - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining the police response of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the authorities a second time.
She stated the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a space of five children.
