A Utah girl, abducted at age 15, endured a 500-day ordeal in captivity where her alleged captor forced her to remove her braces with pliers to prevent identification. Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, of Oregon, has been arrested and federally charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Authorities allege Harmel groomed Kylie Arellano on social media and gaming platforms beginning in May 2025. She disappeared from her Utah home on May 29, 2025, launching a multi-agency search. The FBI's investigation gained traction when another minor reported meeting Arellano on the online game AmongUs. During monitored video calls, Arellano revealed her name and stated she was being held against her will in Oregon.
Harmel allegedly drove to Utah, picked up Arellano, brought her to his home in Oregon, discarded her phone, and prevented her from leaving. Court documents state that Arellano slept in the same bed as Harmel, with a knife kept under his pillow to deter escape. Harmel also allegedly forced her to remove her braces using pliers. According to the complaint, Harmel expressed a desire to start a family with Arellano and indicated a sexual preference for minors.
Authorities located Arellano on Sunday and returned her to Utah. Harmel appeared in court in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday. It remains unclear when he will be extradited to Utah. Harmel has not yet entered a plea, and no attorney information was listed in the court docket.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated, "To anyone targeting and exploiting children: this FBI and our partners are coming for you." U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak added, "Those who allegedly exploit and prey upon the most vulnerable members of our communities will be relentlessly investigated and held accountable."
Arellano's mother, Stephanie Coleman, expressed her relief on social media, writing, "I brought you home baby girl!"
Previously released search warrants from April and May had raised questions, with police unable to locate text messages between Coleman and her daughter that the mother claimed proved her efforts to find Kylie. The warrants also noted the presence of what appeared to be blood patterns in the family home, which Coleman attributed to a pet cat. Coleman has denied any child abuse.