Disgraced teacher Tad Cummins was reportedly caught kissing his pupil in January but was only fired the day after the alleged kidnapping
POLICE have released new images and CCTV footage as part of the hunt for a former teacher who has ‘kidnapped’ a vulnerable 15-year-old schoolgirl.
Authorities have confirmed that Tad Cummins, 50, had been grooming his pupil Mary Catherine Elizabeth 'Beth' Thomas long before they disappeared, reports Alabama news site .
The pair were also caught kissing in Cummins’ classroom around two months ago, according to documents obtained by .
Cops in Tennessee, who have received more than 350 tips since Thomas vanished on March 13, have released new images of the pair.
CCTV footage shows Cummins, who is reportedly armed with two handguns, shopping in a supermarket days before the alleged kidnapping.
Investigators have also released the last known image of the teen schoolgirl in their determined bid to bring her to safety.
Cummins allegedly lured the student into his car near a restaurant in Columbia, Tennessee, a city about 45 miles south of Nashville.
The 50-year-old, who has been placed on Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's top 10 ‘most wanted’ list, is being hunted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and having sexual contact with a minor.
Police said they released the images and footage to “heighten the urgency” of the disturbing case.
They tweeted: "It's been a week, but we're not giving up hope. Stay vigilant, stay alert, and let us know if you spot these individuals or this vehicle."
Documents obtained by WKRN News 2 reveal that another pupil reported seeing the disgraced health sciences teacher giving the student a ‘peck’ on the lips on January 23.
According to a lawyer representing Thomas' family, her parents were not told about the kiss until a week later when a detective investigating the case contacted them.
Following the incident, Thomas was removed from Cummins class and the pair were told to stay clear of each other.
But when the pupil was spotted in the 50-year-old married man’s class on February 3, Cummins was suspended.
Yet he was only fired from his job the day after he allegedly kidnapped the schoolgirl.
Thomas was last seen on Monday just before 8am local time when a pal dropped her off at a Shoney’s family-style restaurant parking lot in Columbia.
CCTV footage shows Cummins filling up his silver Nissan Rogue at a nearby petrol station minutes later, investigators said.
Detectives said Cummins and Thomas were last seen in Alabama.
But they think the pair has since travelled to a remote area and are hiding out.
At a press conference on Friday, Cummins’ wife issued an emotional plea to her husband to hand himself in.
Fighting back tears, Jill Cummins said: “Tad this is not you. This is not who you are.
“Your family wants their papi back.
“Please do the right thing, and turn yourself into the police and bring Beth home.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368
