Man allegedly held teen captive in basement, forced her to remove braces with pliers after Snapchat meeting

Kylie Arellano, who disappeared from Utah at 15 and was found in Oregon after more than 500 days, was allegedly held captive and abused by a 39-year-old man. The case matters because it shows how online contact can lead to alleged grooming, isolation and exploitation across state lines.

Court documents say Adam Hunter Harmel met Arellano online, drove from Oregon to Utah to collect her, then took her phone and confined her in his basement. He allegedly beat her, sexually assaulted her and forced her to remove her braces with pliers to hinder identification. A tip from the parent of another player of the game Among Us helped authorities locate her; federal charges were filed on 2 November.