Copperas Cove woman gets 40 years for child trafficking conviction

Tiffany Ann Rugen, 30, of Copperas Cove, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty April 21 in Williamson County to continuous child trafficking. Prosecutors said the sentence must be served day-for-day, with no parole, and that it will run at the same time as two Coryell County cases in which she also pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child. She must register as a sex offender for life, and lifetime protective orders were issued for the victims.

For Copperas Cove families, the practical effect is that the Williamson County term does not stack on top of the Coryell County sentences, but it still keeps Rugen behind bars for decades and leaves a lifetime registration requirement in place. The Williamson County District Attorney’s Office announced the conviction April 28, after court records showed the plea on April 21 and sentencing the next day.

The case grew out of a June 2023 investigation by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Copperas Cove Police Department into suspected child sexual abuse material. Investigators said two children were placed with Child Protective Services, and local reporting tied the prosecution to Garrett Bailey, who was later sentenced to life without parole in December 2025 after a Williamson County jury convicted him of continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Texas law defines continuous trafficking of persons as two or more trafficking acts over a period of at least 30 days. Under the state’s sex-offender registration law, certain convictions under that statute can trigger registration requirements, which helps explain why these cases can move through more than one Central Texas courtroom when the conduct spans county lines.

Rugen’s sentence also fits a recent pattern in the region. In April 2024, Generoso Polendey Taclibon of Copperas Cove received 75 years in prison without parole in a child sex case, another sign that Central Texas courts have been imposing severe punishment in cases involving children.

Residents who suspect a child is being exploited should act quickly. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. The Texas Abuse Hotline takes reports 24 hours a day at 1-800-252-5400, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 1-888-373-7888, by text at 233733, or through live chat. Common warning signs include a child who stops attending school, seems fearful or coached, or is always accompanied by one controlling adult.