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Kylie Arellano update: Missing Utah teen found safe in Oregon after 17 months search; FBI warns against ‘Gore Groups’ as man arrested
Kylie Arellano, who disappeared from her Utah home in May 2025 at age of 15, was found alive in Oregon. A 39-year-old man was taken into custody.
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The FBI has vowed to crack down on online “gore groups” accused of targeting and exploiting children, following the discovery of a missing 17-year-old girl who was found alive in Oregon after more than 500 days.
Over the past year, the FBI has stepped up its warnings about online exploitation networks, including groups such as 764. These groups reportedly use blackmail and coercion to force minors into carrying out violent or sexually explicit acts against themselves or others, recording the abuse and sharing the footage among members.
Kylie Arellano found in Oregon
Kylie Arellano, who disappeared from her home in Utah on May 29, 2025, was located on Sunday afternoon in Oregon. She was found with a 39-year-old man who was later taken into custody without incident.
While the FBI has not disclosed whether online gore groups were directly linked to Arellano’s disappearance, the bureau has increasingly prioritised efforts to combat these violent online networks, particularly the child exploitation group known as 764.
Kash Patel issues statement
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the teenager’s recovery followed information provided by the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office. He also reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to working with local law enforcement to protect vulnerable children and bring those responsible for their exploitation to justice.
Patel warned that the FBI would use all available resources to target individuals and groups involved in online child exploitation and violent extremism. “To anyone using gore groups to target and exploit 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 children.”
Kylie Arellano update: What we know about her missing case
The recovery of Kylie Arellano brought an end to a 521-day search involving hundreds of state and federal law enforcement officers. Arellano was just 15 when she disappeared from her family's home in Garden City, Utah.
The extensive investigation was led by the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office in coordination with the Rich County Sheriff's Office. Authorities pursued dozens of leads across the United States and overseas, supported by a widespread public appeal for information.
While investigators have yet to establish the full circumstances surrounding her disappearance, a law enforcement source told Fox News that the suspect allegedly made contact with Arellano through Snapchat before she was reported missing.
Suspect identity and potential charges not revealed
In a joint statement, the FBI and Rich County Sheriff's Office said they would not disclose the suspect's identity or details of any potential charges while the investigation remains active.
Details that emerged during the search also revealed that investigators had previously questioned Arellano's mother, Stephanie Coleman, about a 2024 allegation of physical abuse and inconsistencies involving text messages from the night her daughter disappeared.
Documents unsealed by KUTV in April and May showed that Arellano had run away from home in 2024 after allegedly accusing her mother of choking her. Coleman denied the accusation.
Speaking to KUTV last week, Coleman insisted that she had never physically abused her daughter.
"That was the last time Kylie ran away," she said, maintaining that her daughter had not been choked.
She also explained that she had tried to calm Kylie by rubbing her face with her thumb, acknowledging that the incident could be misunderstood but firmly rejecting claims of abuse.
Coleman had previously expressed concerns that her daughter might have left with someone she encountered on social media, although she said she had no evidence to substantiate that suspicion.
She also described her efforts to secure help from authorities, saying: "I have tried so hard to get every law enforcement agency to help me find my daughter."
Following confirmation of Arellano's recovery, an X account believed to belong to her grandmother shared the news in an emotional post, celebrating that the teenager had been found and rescued while thanking everyone who had shared her disappearance appeals and prayed for her safe return.
