Elizabeth Thomas saw her former teacher Tad Cummins for the first time in court since he abducted her and sparked a 28-day nationwide search.

Elizabeth Thomas was in the courtroom as her former teacher, Tad Cummings, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Elizabeth Thomas said teacher Tad Cummins was an encouraging adult role model to her, showering her with attention.

Elizabeth Thomas says she was teased by students and teachers after Tad Cummins was suspended from her school.

"Sometimes he'd be threatening to kill himself or ending someone else's life if I didn't go," Elizabeth Thomas said about Tad Cummins.

Elizabeth Thomas said she was losing hope of ever seeing her family again and saw the news of the nationwide Amber Alert for her.

Thirty-eight days after Elizabeth Thomas left her home in Tennessee with Tad Cummins, she was finally rescued by police.

"Why didn't they notice?" Elizabeth Thomas said. "They knew. And they knew that they knew."

Elizabeth Thomas said the relationship started when she was the new kid in school and Tad Cummins was her health teacher.

"He threatened to shoot himself or use the guns," Elizabeth Thomas said of her teacher Tad Cummins. "He had two of them."

Elizabeth Thomas, now 17, tells "GMA" her former high school teacher, Tad Cummins, first kissed her in a classroom.

Reporter's notebook: ABC's Eva Pilgrim shares the treacherous journey she and "20/20" producers took to the compound where the two had hid out while on the run.

Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas had been missing for over a month.

Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins were missing for over 1 month.

Cummins has been in custody since April 20.

Tad Cummins was on the run for over a month after allegedly kidnapping the teen.

Jill Cummins said her husband told her that he slept with Elizabeth Thomas.

Tad Cummins faces kidnapping and sex crime charges in Tennessee.

Tad Cummins was arrested in April after allegedly kidnapping a student.

The man who tipped off authorities and led them to a former Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping his 15-year-old student said there were "clues."

Elizabeth Thomas, 15, and Tad Cummins, 50, were found in a cabin in California.

Tad Cummins has been arrested, and Elizabeth Thomas, his 15-year-old student who he allegedly kidnapped, has been "safely recovered" in Northern California.

Tad Cummins has been charged with transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity across state lines.

Sarah Thomas sensed something was wrong when her sister Elizabeth failed to return by 6 p.m.

Elizabeth Thomas would eat lunch in Cummins' classroom and sometimes go to church on Sundays with him and his wife.

Tennessee teen Elizabeth Thomas disappeared with teacher Tad Cummins.

Tad Cummins denied ever kissing Thomas, and a few days later, he was suspended from the school.

Cummins and Thomas used the fake names John and Joanna and told commune members they were 44 years old and 24 years old.

Investigators reveal information about what the former teacher did during his time avoiding police.

After living in the remote Black Bear Ranch commune, Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas were found in California.

This security camera footage of 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas shows the teen leaving her home before meeting up with Tad Cummins.

Cummins' estranged wife, Jill Cummins, told "Inside Edition" her husband asked for forgiveness after claiming he slept with Elizabeth Thomas, 15, the former student he is charged with kidnapping.

Jill Cummins said her husband told her that he slept with Elizabeth Thomas.

Tad Cummins, 50, appeared in federal court in Sacramento, California, where prosecutors claimed he took Elizabeth Thomas, 15, through nine states using swapped-out license plates and a disabled GPS system and making only cash purchases.

Elizabeth Thomas' father says she had experiences that may have changed her.

"Daddy, no matter what you’ve done, we just want you to come home."

Brother says "she's like herself and in ways she's not."

Tad Cummins, 50, faces federal charges for kidnapping Elizabeth Thomas, 15, whose father, Anthony Thomas, described her recovery since returning home as "a rollercoaster."

Elizabeth Thomas’ sister spoke out about how it felt to see her sister again.

Anthony Thomas, now reunited with his daughter Elizabeth Thomas, speaks about her lack of eating while in captivity and the long journey of healing ahead.

Anthony Thomas talks about his hopes for his daughter's future.

Elizabeth Thomas was reunited with her family after her alleged kidnapping by her former teacher, Tad Cummins.

The national manhunt comes to an end with ex-teacher Tad Cummins in FBI custody.

ABC News' and former FBI special agent Brad Garrett speaks on the sensitive balance of questioning a victim for information while also giving that person time and space to heal.

ABC News' Eva Pilgrim takes viewers on an exclusive tour of the cabin where Thomas was held after being kidnapped by her teacher, Tad Cummins.

After more than a month on the run amid a nationwide manhunt, former Tennessee teacher Tad Cummins was found with his 15-year-old student, Elizabeth Thomas.

The 15-year-old Tennessee girl who was allegedly kidnapped by her former teacher has been reunited with her family and friends, the family's attorney said in a statement.

Teen was allegedly taken by her former teacher Tad Cummings and was missing for more than a month.

The tiny cabin where authorities found former Tennessee teacher Tad Cummins and his 15-year-old student, Elizabeth Thomas, is nestled in the woods in a remote, mountainous area of inland, northernmost California near the Oregon border.

The former Tennessee teacher was charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor.