50-year-old teacher Ted Cummins may get away with ‘kidnapping’ young 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas due to Tennessee law. The Tennessee law states the statute lets children older than 12 decide whether to leave their families, unless their removal or confinement “is accomplished by force, threat or fraud.”
Apparently Thomas may have left voluntarily. On Instagram right before she disappeared, she shared a meme from Beauty and the Beast which read: “Every Beauty Needs Her Beast to Protect Her From Everything But Him.” The two allegedly had been seen in Cummins classroom kissing the day the two disappeared.
Attorney Jason Whatley, who is representing Elizabeth’s father, told CNN the kidnapping statute might not matter in Cummins’ case, especially if he crossed state lines with Elizabeth, triggering federal kidnapping laws. He predicted the ex-teacher would face “scores of charges once we find him.”
