A 17-year-old Utah girl rescued from an Oregon basement after more than 500 days in captivity was allegedly beaten and forced to remove her own braces with pliers so she could not be identified, according to federal court documents.
Kylie Arellano disappeared from Garden City, Utah, on May 29, when she was 15. Federal authorities have now charged Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, in connection with her alleged abduction and imprisonment.
The criminal complaint, filed Nov. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, alleges Harmel became “very violent and aggressive, often hitting” Arellano during her captivity. Investigators said he further forced her to remove her braces with pliers to conceal her identity.
The complaint describes a pattern of alleged grooming that began online. According to the document, Harmel met Arellano on Snapchat before her disappearance. He allegedly 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, the complaint states. Immediately after she entered the vehicle, he allegedly 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.
Inside the home, Harmel allegedly confined Arellano to the basement, where the two shared a bed. To prevent escape, he “kept a knife under his pillow and made MV [minor victim] sleep against the wall,” according to the complaint.
A housemate told the FBI that Harmel claimed he had brought home a “new girlfriend” from Utah. The housemate did not see Arellano until about two months after her arrival, when she ran back into the basement.
Harmel allegedly provided Arellano with a phone that lacked cellular data capabilities, restricting her internet access to Wi-Fi only. Investigators said he 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.
During the investigation, the FBI learned Arellano was allegedly groomed on platforms used by Nihilistic Violent Extremist group members to solicit sexually explicit photos and maiming photos, according to a Department of Justice release.
Arellano’s path to freedom began in mid-October 2026, when she connected with another minor while playing the online game “Among Us.” After moving their conversation to another social media app, she revealed her real identity and said she was being held against her will at a man’s home in Oregon. She also told the other minor she thought police were no longer looking for her.
Her mother contacted the FBI, which monitored a Nov. 1 video call with Arellano. During the call, 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.
For more than 500 days, Arellano’s mother had held out hope after finding her daughter’s jacket discarded in the driveway and her phone turned off. The tip that led to the rescue came from the parent of the other “Among Us” player.
US Attorney for the District of Utah Melissa Holyoak said in a statement that 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.”
FBI Director Kash Patel issued a similar warning to those who target 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.
Harmel was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.