Tad Cummins sentenced to 20 years for taking underage student

UPDATE: The judge sentences Tad Cummins to 20 years in prison. He also faces a lifetime of supervision.

His victim was in court to make a statement before sentencing Wednesday afternoon.

But when the time came, she began sobbing. Prosecutors read her statement instead.

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By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Federal prosecutors want a Tennessee teacher who was on the run for weeks with a 15-year-old student to spend 30 years in prison.

A federal judge is scheduled to sentence Tad Cummins on Wednesday in Nashville.

In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday, prosecutors argue the 52-year-old deserves a harsh sentence because he took advantage of a vulnerable girl with a history of abuse and neglect. They also note Cummins had no plans to end his sexual relationship with the teen before he was caught with her near a remote California cabin in April 2017.

Cummins is asking for the minimum sentence of 10 years. He had no previous criminal history and says if they had not left Tennessee he would likely face a sentence of only 2-4 years.

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