A 76-year-old man was arrested after allegedly handing out sedative-laced candy to children at a summer camp in the English countryside — sending several to the hospital, according to officials.
Cops responded to reports of kids falling ill at a children’s summer camp at Stathern Lodge and rushed eight boys between the ages of 8 and 11 and one adult to the hospital last Sunday, the Leicestershire Police Department said in a statement.
John Ruben was arrested at a local pub a day later, CBS News reported.
Ruben lives about 15 miles from the lodge, a converted farmhouse with a sports hall and catering facilities, located roughly 120 miles north of London, the outlet reported.
All victims have since been released from the hospital, cops said.
It is not immediately clear what capacity Ruben was acting in when he gave the children the candy or what sedatives the candy was laced with.
The candy creeper has since been charged with three counts of wilful ill-treatment of a child, police said.
He was ordered detained until his next hearing on Aug. 19 during a Saturday court appearance, the outlet reported.
“This has been an extremely upsetting and shocking moment for the community, and especially for the children and parents most directly affected,” Janine McKinney, chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in the East Midlands, told BBC News.
“We would like to remind all concerned that there are now active criminal proceedings against Mr Ruben, and he has the right to a fair trial,” she said.
Tainted sweets have caused mayhem before — sparking widespread panic and serious repercussions.
In May, a Buffalo, NY public school teacher was placed on administrative leave after he accidentally gave two students THC edibles he mistook for regular candy.
A New Zealand food bank also accidentally distributed a stash of potentially lethal packages of meth-laced candies in August of last year.
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