A 39-year-old man has been charged in the alleged captivity of a Utah teenager who was found safe in Oregon nearly 18 months after her disappearance. Adam Hunter Harmel faces federal charges including kidnapping and abuse.
Kylie Arellano, now 17, vanished from Garden City, Utah, in May 2025, when she was 15. Court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital detail disturbing allegations that Harmel repeatedly beat the teenager and forced her to remove her braces with pliers to conceal her identity.
Investigators allege Harmel confined Arellano to his basement, where they shared a bed. The complaint states Harmel kept a knife under his pillow and made the minor victim sleep against the wall to prevent escape. He also allegedly sexually assaulted her over the course of her captivity.
Harmel is accused of transporting Arellano across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Utah outlines a timeline of alleged grooming, isolation, and abuse, beginning when Harmel allegedly met the teenager online in May 2025. Authorities believe he may have initially connected with her on Snapchat.
According to the Department of Justice, Arellano was allegedly groomed on platforms used by Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) groups to solicit explicit and harmful content. Harmel allegedly offered Arellano money to travel to Oregon, claiming he had a disability. He drove to Utah to pick her up and, immediately after she entered his vehicle, allegedly threw her phone into a river and took her to his home in Huntington, Oregon, telling her she was not allowed to leave.
Arellano's mother had reported her daughter missing in 2025 after finding her jacket abandoned and her phone turned off. The wait for Arellano's safe return ended on November 1, when law enforcement rescued her from Harmel's home following a tip from the parent of another player of the online game “Among Us.”
Arellano had connected with another minor on the game in mid-October 2026. After moving their conversation to another app, Arellano revealed her identity and stated she was being held against her will. Her mother then contacted the FBI.
On November 1, the FBI monitored a video call with Arellano, during which she showed investigators a knife Harmel allegedly kept and provided other corroborating evidence. That same day, Oregon State Police and federal agents rescued Arellano and took her for medical treatment.
A search of Harmel's residence reportedly uncovered knives, BB guns, and sexual lubricant. Harmel was arrested during a traffic stop in Ontario, Oregon.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Melissa Holyoak stated that the priority was the safe return of the victim and vowed to hold accountable those who exploit vulnerable individuals. FBI Director Kash Patel echoed this sentiment, warning offenders that the FBI is using all available tools to combat such crimes and protect children.