Utah girl who went missing at 15 was forced to remove braces with pliers so she couldn't be identified, as sadistic new details of 500-day nightmare emerge

A Utah girl was kept in captivity for over 500 days by an Oregon man who has since been thrown behind bars for his alleged sadistic crimes, as new details emerge about the nightmarish conditions she endured. Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, was arrested and federally charged on Monday for traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to a federal complaint filed in the US District Court of Utah. Authorities said that Harmel allegedly forced the teen to remove her braces with pliers to keep her hidden and slept in the same bed with her and a knife. Harmel is accused of grooming Kylie Arellano when she was just 15 years old on social media and gaming platforms. She vanished on May 29, 2025, which launched a massive multi-agency search led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Authorities hit dead ends for months until another minor reported meeting Arellano on the online game AmongUs, where she revealed her name. The minor, who was not identified in court documents, said Arellano told her she had run away, that she believed police were not looking for her anymore and that she was being held against her will at a man's home in Oregon.The FBI then monitored video calls between the two minors, during which Arellano alleged she began talking to Harmel in May of 2025. Kylie Arellano, then 15, was last seen by her family on May 29, 2025, at her family's home in Garden City, Utah. She was found in Oregon on Sunday. Picture source: Rich County Sheriff's Office Arellano vanished on May 29, 2025. A massive multi-agency investigation ensued, and she was found on Sunday. Picture source: Rich County Sheriff's Office/FacebookHe allegedly told her he was disabled, his hips were 'messed up' and offered her money to come to Oregon. Harmel later allegedly drove to pick Arellano up in Utah, brought her to his home in Oregon, threw her phone in the river and forced her to stay inside. They allegedly slept in the same bed together in the basement and Arellano was forced to sleep next to a wall. Harmel allegedly kept a knife under his pillow to prevent her from leaving during the night and forced her to remove her braces with pliers so she could not be identified. Arellano said Harmel told her he wanted to start a family together and indicated he had a sexual preference for minors, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities found Arellano on Sunday and brought her back to her home in Utah. Harmel appeared in court in Boise, Idaho, for the first time on Wednesday. It is unclear when Harmel will be extradited to Utah. The Daily Mail reached out to the local sheriff's department, the US Attorney's Office and the FBI for more information. 'To anyone targeting and exploiting children: this FBI and our partners are coming for you,' FBI Director Kash Patel said about the case. 'We are using every tool at our disposal to combat nihilistic violent extremism, bring offenders to justice, and protect America’s most vulnerable.'US 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 was found at a home in Huntington, Oregon. A 39-year-old man named Adam Hunter Harmel was arrested in connection with her disappearance on federal charges Arellano's mother, Stephanie Coleman, celebrated the news on social media, writing in her Instagram story: 'I brought you home baby girl!' Source: stefery84/InstagramArellano's mother, Stephanie Coleman, celebrated the news on social media, writing in her Instagram story: 'I brought you home, baby girl!' Authorities had previously claimed in search warrants served in April and May that Arellano had once complained that her mother had choked her, and said that officers were unable to find the text messages Coleman said she exchanged with her daughter before her disappearance, KUTV reports.Police also claimed that when they walked through the home in the spring of this year, they found what looked like blood or blood patterns. Coleman denied ever abusing her child, chalking up the blood stains to the family's cat.'I have tried so hard to get every law enforcement agency to help me find my daughter,' she said late last month. 'I pray every day that my daughter is still alive,' Coleman added at the time. 'It has been 517 nights.' Harmel has not entered a plea for the charges against him and attorney information for comment was not listed on the court docket.