A TENNESSEE teacher ended up behind bars after he abducted a 15-year-old student and took her across state lines.
They were on the run for nearly 40 days, posing as husband and wife, and by the time police found them, they were almost 2,000 miles away from her Culleoka, Tennessee, home.
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Who is Tad Cummins?
Tad Cummins is a former Tennessee teacher turned convicted criminal.
Prior to incarceration, he taught health sciences at Culleoka Unit School in Tennessee, the same school Elizabeth Thomas attended.
Most thought that he was just your average teacher, but in 2017, everything changed.
That year, he had been suspended after a student reported seeing him and Thomas kissing in a classroom, according to CNN.
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Then in March, he kidnapped her and took her across state lines.
They remained on the run for 38 days, posing as husband and wife, and it was not until April 2017 that authorities were able to locate her at a remote cabin in Northern California.
She confessed to being manipulated and sexually abused by Cummins, according to ABC News.
He was then arrested and charged in connection to the kidnapping.
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Where is Tad Cummins now?
Cummins spared Thomas the trauma of a trial by pleading guilty on April 5, 2018, to charges of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual conduct and obstruction of justice.
In January 2019, he was then sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"Today we got justice for a brave victim," Middle District of Tennessee US attorney Don Cochran said outside the courthouse, via CNN. "We feel good about it."
During sentencing, Thomas addressed the court, saying in an emotional impact statement that Cummins had "robbed her childhood."
"It is very difficult for me to stand here and fully describe the impact that Mr. Cummins’ crimes have had on my life," she said, via CNN affiliate WKRN.
"The effects have been devastating and permanent, and they are not over. They are still an ongoing struggle that I experience one day, and sometimes even one moment, at a time in my life.
"Mr. Cummins, what you did to me is unspeakable. I don’t know that any words could ever accurately express how much pain I have suffered and continue to suffer because of you," she continued.
"You preyed upon a vulnerable girl and robbed her childhood. For the last two years, I’ve been picking myself up, piece by piece, and proving to myself that I am much, much stronger than you convinced me I was.
"Tad Cummins is a sick, disgusting criminal. I believe Mr. Cummins’ sentence should be 38 years in prison – one year for each day he kept me away from my family."
In 2020, Cummins asked the court to release him early due to Covid-19 concerns, but District Judge Aleta A. Trauger denied his request, calling his argument "weak," according to The Tennessean.
"Moreover, given the egregious conduct of the defendant and its impact upon the victim and her family, his release from custody after serving such a small portion of his significant sentence would subvert the sentencing factors that this court must consider," Trauger wrote in her ruling.
"His release would result in an insignificant sentence that would not reflect the seriousness of his offense, promote respect for the law, be a just punishment, or protect the public from further crimes of this defendant."
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How can I watch Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story?
Thomas' story made headlines for years, and now, it's being retold in a new Lifetime film, My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story.
"Elizabeth Thomas (Summer Howell) was just a 15-year-old high schooler who wanted to make friends when she caught the eye of Tad Cummins (Michael Fishman), a trusted, beloved and married high school teacher," the film's description reads.
"Making her feel safe and loved, he groomed Elizabeth for months, and ultimately coerced her to go on the run with him after another student reported seeing him kiss Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s abduction set off a nationwide manhunt and her over month-long ordeal came to an end when the pair was discovered in northern California and Cummins was arrested.
"After enduring sexual abuse at the hands of Cummins, Elizabeth was left to face those in her home town who thought that she was responsible for her own kidnapping. Ultimately, Elizabeth bravely stood up in court and helped send the teacher she once trusted to prison."
The project was executive produced by activist Elizabeth Smart, who gained national attention at age 14 when she was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell.
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The "ripped from the headlines" tale can be watched live on Lifetime on August 12, 2023, starting at 8pm EST.
It will be followed by the debut of a one-hour documentary special, Beyond the Headlines: The Elizabeth Thomas Story with Elizabeth Smart, where Thomas tells her story in her own words, according to Entertainment Tonight.
