NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A teacher who entered a guilty plea on two counts involving the cross-country trip he took with a 15-year-old Tennessee high school student could face a sentence of 30 years in prison under recommendations by the prosecution.
Tad Cummins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on two charges, transporting a minor for sex and destroying evidence, and destroying both their cell phones.
Cummins admitted he took the student on a cross-country trip that began March 13, 2017. Along the way, they stole license plates in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Utah, Nevada and Oklahoma to avoid being caught. The two bought a kayak in an attempt to paddle from California to Mexico but the water was too rough.
Investigators found Cummins and the girl in California five weeks after they disappeared living in a cabin on a commune. Cummins admitted to having sex with the teen several times.
The girl's family eventually sued Cummins and the school board.
Cummins was originally supposed to be sentenced back in September. Sentencing is set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16.