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The missing Utah teenager found alive in Oregon nearly 18 months after her disappearance was allegedly beaten repeatedly and forced to remove her braces with pliers to hide her identity, according to disturbing new details in the case.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, vanished from Garden City, Utah, on May 29, 2025, when she was 15. Federal authorities have now charged a 39-year-old man in her alleged captivity.
In court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Adam Hunter Harmel allegedly became “very violent and aggressive, often hitting” the teen and further forced her to remove her braces with pliers so that she could not be identified.
MISSING UTAH TEEN KYLIE ARELLANO FOUND SAFE IN OREGON AFTER 500-DAY SEARCH
The federal complaint also paints a chilling picture of captivity inside Harmel’s home, where Harmel allegedly confined the teenager to the basement, where the two shared a bed.
To prevent her from escaping, the complaint says, Harmel also “kept a knife under his pillow and made MV [minor victim] sleep against the wall.”
Investigators said Harmel had expressed a desire to start a family with the teenager, stated that he was interested in minors and repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2025 and 2026, according to the complaint.
Harmel allegedly transported Arellano across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
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The criminal complaint, filed Nov. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, also outlines a timeline of alleged grooming, isolation and abuse.
For more than 500 days, Arellano’s mother held out hope after finding her daughter’s jacket discarded in the driveway and her phone turned off.
That wait ended Nov. 1, when law enforcement rescued the teenager from a home in Oregon following a tip from the parent of another player of the online game “Among Us.”
According to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Andrea Elder, Arellano’s family first reported in 2025 that she had been groomed online, with communications beginning on gaming platforms before moving to other social media apps.
According to a law enforcement source, the suspect allegedly met the teenager on Snapchat before her disappearance.
During the investigation, the FBI also learned that Arellano was allegedly groomed on platforms that are often used by Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) Groups members to solicit sexually explicit photos and maiming photos, according to a release issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
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Authorities allege that, in May 2025, Harmel met the teenager online, claimed he had a disability involving his “messed up” hips and offered her money to travel to Oregon.
Harmel drove from Oregon to Perry, Utah, to pick her up on or about May 29, 2025. Immediately after she entered the vehicle, according to the complaint, Harmel threw her phone into a river in Logan Canyon, drove her to his home in Huntington, Oregon, and told her she was not allowed to leave.
A housemate living at the home told the FBI that Harmel claimed he had brought home a “new girlfriend” from Utah. The housemate did not see the teenager until about two months after her arrival, when she ran back into the basement.
According to the complaint, Harmel provided Arellano with a phone that lacked cellular data capabilities, limiting her internet access to Wi-Fi.
Her path to freedom began in mid-October 2026, when she connected with another minor while playing “Among Us.”
After moving their conversation to another social media app, Arellano revealed her real identity and told the minor she was being held against her will at a man’s home in Oregon. She also said she thought police were no longer looking for her.
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Her mother contacted the FBI, which monitored a Nov. 1 video call with Arellano during which she showed investigators the knife Harmel kept and other evidence corroborating her claims.
That same day, Oregon State Police and federal agents rescued the teenager and took her for medical treatment.
A search of Harmel’s residence uncovered knives, BB guns and sexual lubricant, according to the complaint. Harmel was arrested during a traffic stop in Ontario, Oregon.
Harmel was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Melissa Holyoak said the priority in the case was the “safe return of the minor victim.”
“Those who allegedly exploit and prey upon the most vulnerable members of our communities will be relentlessly investigated and held accountable.”
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FBI Director Kash Patel issued a similar warning to those who target and exploit children.
“The FBI and our partners are coming for you. We are using every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice, and protect America’s most vulnerable,” he said.
