A brand new crime drama units out to unravel the disturbing true story of a 15-year-old lady who spent greater than a month on the run together with her mentor turned abuser.
Abducted By My Teacher, which airs right now on Lifestyle, follows the harrowing particulars of the case that sparked a nationwide manhunt in 2017.
Tad Cummins (Michael Fishman) nursed school scholar Elizabeth Thomas (Summer Howell) earlier than forcing her to go on the run for 38 days and sexually assaulting her each day.
Here, FEMAIL uncovered the disturbing actuality that noticed the perpetrator sentenced to twenty years behind bars after pleading “guilty of obstructing justice and bringing a minor across state lines for sex.”
Abducted By My Teacher (pictured), airing this weekend on Lifestyle, follows the harrowing particulars of the case that sparked a nationwide manhunt in 2017
Tad Cummins (left) nursed school scholar Elizabeth Thomas (proper) earlier than forcing her to go on the run for 38 days and sexually assaulting her each day
The chilling story started after Cummins met the teenager when she was a scholar at Culleoka Unit School in Maury County, Tennessee.
Elizabeth, who was beforehand homeschooled, beforehand informed ABC that Cummins and his spouse of 30 years took her into their care after her personal mom was charged with youngster abuse and neglect involving the teenager and sister Sarah.
Jill Cummins has beforehand mentioned that she got here to think about Elizabeth as her third daughter and that she believed her relationship together with her husband was akin to that of a father or mother and youngster.
But Elizabeth quickly seen that the connection between her and her married mentor was growing.
She revealed that Cummins would make a number of suggestive feedback and the pair ultimately started exchanging sexually express messages on Instagram.
The teen additionally beforehand described the primary time Cummins kissed her and, she mentioned, when she “realized it was going too far.”
He grabbed my face. I used to be proper subsequent to the double doorways I had. I used to be 15. Because I used to be homeschooled, I didn’t actually have a boyfriend,” she mentioned. “When that occurred, it was form of like ‘wow.’”
Despite knowing their relationship was taboo, the teen said she never told anyone because she didn’t need the eye and was additionally afraid of angering Cummins.
Elizabeth beforehand informed ABC that Cummins and his spouse of 30 years (pictured collectively) took her underneath their wing
In the times after he fled with the teenager, the duo had been seen on surveillance cameras getting into a Walmart the place they purchased hair dye to vary Elizabeth’s look.
But the trainer was ultimately suspended from the varsity on February 6, 2017, after a fellow scholar reported seeing him kiss Elizabeth.
During his suspension, the trainer compelled the teenager to name and textual content him often, she mentioned.
In the top, the coed claimed that Cummins informed her to elope with him.
Elizabeth beforehand revealed this in an interview with ABC is 20/20 that she felt she needed to go together with him or he would do one thing drastic, and that in their drive throughout the nation he saved a gun within the console of the automobile and he or she knew she couldn’t escape.
Cummins additionally allegedly destroyed each of their telephones so their whereabouts couldn’t be traced as they made their option to a distant cabin close to Cecilville, California.
Elizabeth informed authorities she and Cummins “had sex every day while traveling from state to state” for 38 days between March 13 and April 20, 2017. Tennessee reported.
In the times after he fled with the teenager, the duo had been seen on surveillance cameras getting into a Walmart the place they purchased hair dye to vary Elizabeth’s look.
They additionally purchased cheese cubes, KY jelly, girls’s razors, and chocolate.
He later purchased a two-person kayak, allegedly for a failed plan to flee to Panama, and an iPad to attempt to monitor media protection of their case, prosecutors mentioned on the time.
But authorities had been quickly made conscious of the couple’s presence within the cabin by a neighbor who turned suspicious when she noticed the automobile being pushed by Cummins with no license plate and noticed the very young-looking Elizabeth contained in the car, the spokeswoman mentioned. Tennessee.
As a consequence, Cummins was caught and arrested on April 20, 2017.
Elizabeth informed authorities she and Cummins “had sex every day as they traveled from state to state” for 38 days between March 13 and April 20, 2017, the Tennessean reported.
Cummins additionally allegedly destroyed each of their telephones so their whereabouts couldn’t be traced as they made their option to a distant cabin (pictured) close to Cecilville, California
Authorities had been quickly made conscious of the couple’s presence within the cabin by a neighbor who turned suspicious when she noticed the automobile being pushed by Cummins with no license plate.
In a letter to spouse Jill, written from behind bars on July 31, 2017, Cummins wrote, “I’m to blame for everything,” whereas including that “the devil was deeply involved.”
The then 52-year-old lastly pleaded responsible in April 2018 to obstructing justice and taking a minor throughout state traces for intercourse.
Cummins was sentenced by a federal choose to twenty years behind bars and the previous trainer can even need to register as a intercourse offender upon launch.
Elizabeth confronted him in court docket and mentioned throughout her sufferer influence assertion, in keeping with Radar Online, “When I went to school, you chose me from the crowd. I was just a kid who wanted to make friends, but you were someone who had a plan.
“You saw a broken girl who was lonely, scared and traumatized. You made her feel safe and loved because you saw what she needed and made her believe you would be her “protector.”
“You act like you care now and that you’re full of regrets, but where was that before?” Thomas requested in court docket, in keeping with the assertion obtained by means of Burton Staggs of Tennessee River Valley News.
“Where was all that while you first had me alone in your classroom and raped me time and again for months? Where was all that while you spent untold quantities of effort and time manipulating, coercing and deceptive me into pondering you had been the one one that cared about me?’
Elizabeth continued, “You had been only a man who needed intercourse, and also you manipulated and used me to do this.
“But the reality is, irrespective of how a lot time you must serve, you’ll by no means be capable of undo what you probably did to me. I’ll need to dwell ceaselessly with the scars you left on me.’
In the years since, Elizabeth has married Skylar Dirla after the couple fell in love whereas working collectively at a seafood restaurant of their hometown of Columbia, Tennessee.
Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story premieres August 12.