Huntington Man Faces Federal Charge After Missing Utah Minor Found in Oregon

Oregon — A Huntington man is in federal custody after Oregon State Police found a missing Utah minor at his home on Nov. 1, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Authorities said she had been missing for about a year and a half.

Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, was charged Nov. 2 in a federal criminal complaint filed in the District of Utah. He faces a charge of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and made his initial court appearance Nov. 4 at the federal courthouse in Boise, Idaho.

Prosecutors allege Harmel met the minor through a social media app in May 2025, drove to Utah to pick her up and brought her across state lines to his home in Oregon. According to the complaint, Harmel allegedly kept a knife under his pillow to prevent her from escaping.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office learned in August 2025 that the minor had disappeared that May. Investigators allege she was groomed on online gaming platforms before the communications moved to other social media apps. FBI Director Kash Patel said the complaint describes sexually explicit activity and acts of self-harm.

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The Justice Department said members of groups it describes as nihilistic violent extremist groups commonly use the gaming platforms at issue to solicit sexually explicit images and images of people injuring themselves. The release did not identify the platforms or say whether Harmel belonged to any such group.

On Nov. 1, the FBI received a tip about the minor’s possible whereabouts and learned that she had met Harmel online in May 2025, according to the Justice Department. Oregon State Police recovered her at Harmel’s residence that day using information provided by the FBI.

“Our priority in this case was the safe return of the minor victim,” said Melissa Holyoak, U.S. attorney for the District of Utah. Holyoak credited the FBI and Oregon law enforcement for their work locating the minor. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrest was an initial step in the federal prosecution.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating, with assistance from Oregon State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jawayria Z. Auchter is prosecuting the case alongside Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Harmel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.