Oregon man accused of kidnapping Garden City teen charged in federal court

SALT LAKE CITY — An Oregon man accused of kidnapping a Garden City teen and holding her against her will for almost 18 months has been charged in federal court.

The FBI Salt Lake City announced on Monday that a 17-year-old girl who was reported missing from Garden City in May 2025 had been safely recovered. She was located in Oregon and her alleged kidnapper was arrested, a statement from FBI Salt Lake City said.

Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, was charged in federal court with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Charges state between May 2025 and Nov. 1, Harmel knowingly transported a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

According to the federal charges, FBI Salt Lake City received a report on Aug. 20, 2025, that a minor in Garden City had been missing since May. FBI agents interviewed the minor's family who told them she had been groomed on gaming platforms and the grooming "transitioned to other social media applications" where she had sent explicit images and videos to other users in exchange for money, the charges state.

On Sunday, the FBI received a tip from an individual who had been playing an online game with a user who said their name matched that of the missing Garden City teen. The individual said the other user told them she had run away, police were no longer looking for her and she was being held against her will at a home in Oregon, the charges said.

The individual then video called the other user and was told that she met Harmel on a social media app in May 2025, and he offered the girl money to help them get to Oregon, the charges said. Harmel then allegedly drove from Oregon to Utah to pick the minor up and threw her phone into a river in Logan Canyon. The two then drove to his residence in Oregon and she was told she was not allowed to leave, court documents said.

The girl said she was forced to sleep in the same bed as Harmel in the basement and he kept a knife under his pillow, making her sleep against the wall to prevent her escape, the charges said. The girl claimed Harmel would become very violent and aggressive and hit her, and he had forced her to remove her braces with pliers so she could not be identified.

According to the charges, Harmel also expressed a desire to start a family with her and said he had an interest in minors, especially minor girls. Harmel is accused of sexually assaulting the girl in 2025 and 2026.

Law enforcement safely recovered the girl from Harmel's residence on Sunday.

The FBI interviewed a person who shared Harmel's residence; they told police Harmel had driven to Utah in 2025 and brought back a new girlfriend, but the roommate was uncertain of the girlfriend's age. The roommate said they first interacted with the girl two months after she had arrived, and she "frantically ran back to the basement," charges said.

The FBI said its agents and Rich County Sheriff's Office had been actively investigating the case for more than a year, pursuing leads received from across the U.S. and in other countries.

"We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable. 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," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.