Inside the chilling real-life story of Ted Cummins, the married teacher who ABDUCTED 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas after abusing her innocence… as his sordid crimes come to light in a shocking new documentary

A new crime drama is set to uncover the disturbing true story of a 15-year-old girl who spent more than a month on the run with her mentor-turned-abuser.

Abducted By My Teacher, which airs on Lifestyle today, will follow the harrowing details of the case that sparked a nationwide manhunt in 2017.

Tad Cummins (Michael Fishman) treated student Elizabeth Thomas (Summer Howell) before forcing her on the run for 38 days and subjecting her to daily sexual abuse.

Here, FEMAIL laid bare the disturbing realities that saw the attacker sentenced to 20 years behind bars after pleading “guilty to obstruct justice and taking a minor across state lines to sexual relations”.

Tad Cummins (left) treated student Elizabeth Thomas (right) before forcing her on the run for 38 days and making her endure daily sexual abuse

The scary story began after Cummins met the teenager when she was a student at Culleoka Unit School in Maury County, Tennessee.

Previously homeschooled Elizabeth previously told ABC that Cummins and his 30-year-old wife took her under their wing after her own mother was accused of child abuse and neglect involving the teenager and her daughter. sister Sarah.

Jill Cummins has previously said she has come to think of Elizabeth as her third daughter and feels her relationship with her husband is like that of parent and child.

But Elizabeth soon noticed that the relationship between her and her married mentor was growing.

She revealed that Cummins would make various suggestive remarks and the couple eventually started exchanging sexually explicit messages on Instagram.

The teenager also described the first time Cummins kissed her, which she said was when she “realized it was going too far”.

“He grabbed my face. I was right next to the double doors I had. I was 15 years old. Being homeschooled, I haven’t really had a boyfriend,” she said. “When it happened, it was kind of like ‘wow’.”

Despite knowing their relationship was taboo, the teenager said she never told anyone about it because she didn’t want the attention and was also afraid of angering Cummins .

Elizabeth previously told ABC that Cummins and his 30-year-old wife (pictured together) took her under their wing

In the days following their escape with the teenager, the duo were seen on CCTV cameras entering a Walmart where they bought hair dye to change Elizabeth’s appearance.

But the teacher was eventually suspended from school on February 6, 2017, after a classmate reported seeing him kiss Elizabeth.

While on suspension, the teacher made the teenager call and text her at regular intervals, she said.

Eventually, the student claimed that Cummins told her she had to run away with him.

Elizabeth previously revealed in an interview with ABC 20/20 that she felt like she had to go with him or he would do something drastic, and that he had kept a gun in the console of the car during their drive across the country and that she knew that she couldn’t escape.

Cummins also allegedly destroyed both of their phones so they couldn’t be found as they made their way to a remote cabin near Cecilville, California.

Elizabeth told authorities that she and Cummins had sex “every day while traveling interstate,” for 38 days between March 13 and April 20, 2017, the tennessian reported.

In the days following their escape with the teenager, the duo were seen on CCTV cameras entering a Walmart where they bought hair dye to change Elizabeth’s appearance.

They also bought cheese cubes, KY jelly, women’s razors and chocolate.

He then bought a two-seater kayak, allegedly for a failed getaway plan to Panama, and an iPad to try to monitor media coverage of their case, prosecutors said at the time.

But authorities were quickly alerted to the couple’s presence in the cabin by a neighbor who became suspicious when she saw the car being driven by Cummins without a license plate and noticed the very young Elizabeth inside the vehicle , said the Tennessean.

As a result, Cummins was caught and arrested on April 20, 2017.

Elizabeth told authorities that she and Cummins had sex “every day while traveling interstate” for 38 days between March 13 and April 20, 2017, the report reported. Tennessean.

Cummins also allegedly destroyed both of their phones so they couldn’t be found as they made their way to a remote cabin (pictured) near Cecilville, California

Authorities were quickly alerted to the pair’s presence in the cabin by a neighbor who became suspicious when she saw the car being driven by Cummins without license plates.

In a letter to his wife Jill, written behind bars on July 31, 2017, Cummins wrote, “I am solely responsible for everything,” while adding that “the devil was deeply involved.”

The then 52-year-old eventually pleaded guilty in April 2018 to obstruction of justice and taking a minor across state lines for sex.

Cummins was sentenced to 20 years behind bars by a federal judge and the former teacher will also have to register as a sex offender after his release.

Confronting him in court, Elizabeth said during her victim impact statement, according to Radar Online: “When I started school, you picked me out of the crowd. I was just a kid who wanted to make friends, but you were someone with a plan.

“You saw a broken girl who was alone, scared and traumatized. You made her feel safe and loved because you saw what she needed and made her believe that you would be her ‘protector’.

“You act like you care now and you’re full of all these regrets, but where was all this before?” Thomas asked the court, according to the statement obtained by Burton Staggs of the Tennessee River Valley News.

‘Where was all this when you first had me alone in your classroom closet and raped me over and over again for months? Where was all of this when you spent untold time and effort manipulating me, pressuring me, and tricking me into thinking you were the only person who cared about me?

Elizabeth continued, “All you were was a man who wanted sex, and you manipulated and used me just for that.

“But the truth is, no matter how long you have to serve, you can never undo what you did to me. I will have to live with the scars you left on me forever.

In the years that followed, Elizabeth married Skylar Dirla after the pair fell in love while working together at a seafood restaurant in their hometown of Columbia, Tennessee.

Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story will premiere on August 12.