A person who laced candy with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the region has admitted sexual crimes against two children aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight youngsters and an older person experienced illness at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from that region, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a additional proceeding on late November.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, outlined the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer program which he operated.
The man played a "candy game" with the children, the prosecutor stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the man had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She explained the man had been able to explain this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his family member had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to have a look in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor said items including baby oil, Vaseline and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild contacted the police about his concerns.
She said the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining the police response of the situation.
The legal representative stated the children were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the police again.
She explained the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a area of five children.
