Missing Teen Allegedly Held Captive for 17 Months, Beaten and Forced to Rip Out Her Braces

In a stunning rescue, a Utah teenager who vanished more than 17 months ago was found alive in Oregon. The young girl was allegedly held captive by a man who repeatedly sexually assaulted her, beat her and even forced her to remove her own braces with pliers to prevent her from being identified.

This is according to federal court documents obtained and reviewed by Los Angeles.

Kylie Arellano, now 17, disappeared in May 2025 when she was just 15 years old. She was recovered Nov. 1, 2026, after an incredibly lucky encounter on the popular online game “Among Us” helped lead FBI agents to the home where she was being held against her will. Arellano’s name is not used in the court documents, but available from earlier public reporting.

Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, of Oregon, is charged in federal court with transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.

“Anyone engaged in the sexual exploitation of a minor will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche on Nov. 1. “Today’s arrest is the first step toward bringing the accused to justice and relieving the pain endured by the victim and her family. This Department of Justice will never stop investigating and prosecuting individuals engaged in vicious predatory behavior.”

The criminal complaint filed Nov. 2 in Utah details the disturbing allegations against Harmel, including how he allegedly lured the teenager to Oregon with promises of money before trapping her inside his home.

FBI Special Agent Andrea Elder’s affidavit says Arellano disappeared around May 29, 2025, her family reported her missing, and eventually the FBI’s Salt Lake City office received information about her disappearance that August.

Investigators learned that the teenager had previously been contacted by people through online gaming platforms and social media. Her parents told the FBI that she had been groomed online and had exchanged sexually explicit material with other users for money. Federal investigators later reviewed her social media records as part of the search for the missing teenager.

The complaint details that Arellano met Harmel through social media in May 2025. He allegedly told her he was disabled and had problems with his hips before offering her money to help her travel to Oregon. Feds allege Harmel drove from Oregon to Perry, Utah, where he picked her up around May 29, 2025.

After she hopped into his vehicle, Harmel allegedly threw her cellphone into a river in Logan Canyon before driving her to his Oregon residence. Once she was inside his home, Harmel told Arellano she was not allowed to leave.

The teenager later told investigators that she and Harmel slept in the same bed in the basement of his home. She alleged he kept a knife under his pillow and forced her to sleep against the wall, making it harder for her to escape. Harmel allegedly provided her with another cellphone, but it had no cellular data service and could only connect to the internet through Wi-Fi.

Arellano sadly described Harmel as violent and aggressive, claiming he frequently hit her, and alleged frequent sexual assault. In one of the most disturbing allegations, Arellano told investigators Harmel forced her to remove her orthodontic braces using pliers so she would be more difficult to identify. It’s also detailed in the complaint that Harmel expressed an interest in underage girls and told Arellano he wanted to start a family with her.

Despite being forbidden from leaving the home, Arellano eventually managed to communicate with another young person online. Around Oct. 15, 2026, the teenager connected with another minor while playing “Among Us,” a popular game that required multiple players.

The two began communicating through a separate social media platform, where Arellano disclosed her identity and told the other player that she had run away from home. She also believed that police were no longer searching for her and said that she was being held against her will at a man’s home in Oregon.

The other player’s parent then got involved, and Arellano sent news articles about her disappearance to help establish her identity. Miraculously, on Nov. 1, the FBI received information about a possible location for Arellano.

On Nov. 1, the FBI worked with the parent of the teenager Arellano had met through “Among Us” to arrange a video call with her. FBI agents watched the call as Arellano described being held captive in an Oregon home, explaining how she was regularly beaten and sexually assaulted by Harmel. During the conversation, Arellano also showed a knife that Harmel kept beneath his pillow, along with other evidence supporting her allegations. The parent also took photographs of the video call and shared them with investigators. Law enforcement was finally able to locate and rescue the teenager, then take her for medical treatment and evaluation.

A search of the residence uncovered knives, women’s clothing, sexual lubricant and what initially appeared to be firearms. Investigators later determined the guns were BB guns, however.

Another troubling and shocking detail in the federal complaint is that Harmel allegedly did not live alone.

Apparently, another person (identified in the complaint as INDIVUDAL-4) shared the Oregon residence with Harmel and told investigators that they knew Harmel traveled to Utah in 2025 before returning with a young woman he introduced as his girlfriend. The unidentified housemate claimed they did not know the teen’s age and said they first interacted with her two months after she arrived.

They recalled during their first encounter that Arellano suddenly and “frantically ran back to the basement,” where she allegedly slept in the same bed as Harmel. But oddly, the complaint does not explain what prompted her “frantic” reaction or whether the housemate ever witnessed or heard any of the alleged abuse. It also remains unclear whether the witness suspected Arellano was being held against her will, why the witness did not report the situation or whether the FBI is looking into the housemate’s potential involvement.

The housemate has not been publicly identified or charged in the available court records.

Harmel is charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, a violation of federal law. The complaint was filed Nov. 2 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daphne A. Oberg in Utah, and an arrest warrant was issued.

Harmel made an initial federal court appearance in Boise, Idaho, on Nov. 4. That same day, Harmel signed a document asserting his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights, stating that he would not speak with government officials or law enforcement agents without an attorney present.

“I do not wish to, and will not, waive any of my constitutional rights except in the presence of counsel,” the filing states. The document also directs investigators to communicate with Harmel through his attorney.

The criminal complaint identifies FBI Special Agent Elder as a member of the Salt Lake City Joint Terrorism Task Force, which investigates crimes involving domestic violent extremism and online exploitation.

While there are still so many unanswered questions, the rescue thankfully ended a brutal disappearance that lasted more than 500 days.

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