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.
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, 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.
Kylie Arellano update: What we know about her missing case
a law enforcement source told Fox News that the suspect allegedly made contact with Arellano through Snapchat before she was reported missing While investigators have yet to establish the full circumstances surrounding her disappearance. 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.
