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By Tom Sanders
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The FBI has warned of a crackdown on online "gore groups" used to harm and exploit children after a missing teen was found alive after more than 500 days.
Kylie Arellano, 17, was found in Oregon on Sunday afternoon after going missing from her home in Utah on May 29, 2025. She was found alongside a 39-year-old man, whom local law enforcement has since been taken into custody without incident.
Although the FBI has yet to elaborate on the role nihilistic "gore groups" played in Arellano's disappearance, the bureau has made tackling the phenomenon a priority in recent months—in particular the violent child sextortionist group 764.
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"Tonight, local police in Oregon brought a minor who had been missing for a year and a half to safety, acting on information provided by our FBI Salt Lake City Field Office," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement following the arrest. "We are grateful she can return home, and we will continue working with our partners to hold those responsible accountable."
He added: "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."
Newsweek has contacted the FBI for further information.
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Who Is Kylie Arellano?
Arellano, whose rescue marks the conclusion of a multiagency search involving hundreds of state and federal officers, vanished from her family home in Garden City, Utah, when she was 15 years old.
The joint investigation, carried out by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Rich County Sheriff's Office, saw investigators chase dozens of leads throughout the United States and abroad during the 521-day search following an extensive public outreach campaign.
The Oregon State Police, FBI Portland and the Utah Department of Public Safety also played a critical role in locating the missing teen.
Although the circumstances behind Arellano's disappearance remain unknown, a law enforcement source told Fox News the suspect allegedly contacted the teen on Snapchat prior to her being reported missing.
The FBI and Rich County Sheriff's Office, however, said in a statement that no further information on the suspect, including their identity or specific charges, will be released at this time as the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Prior to Arellano's recovery, new details about the investigation showed officers had previously questioned her mother, Stephanie Coleman, about a 2024 allegation of physical abuse and discrepancies involving missing text messages from the night her daughter went missing.
The documents, unsealed by KUTV in April and May, said Arellano had previously run away from home in 2024 after saying Coleman had choked her. Her mother denied the allegations.
"That was the last time Kylie ran away," Coleman told KUTV last week, "and she was not being choked by me."
"I would take my thumb and try to rub her face, trying to get her to calm down," she said, adding, "I know that this makes me look bad, but I've never abused my child."
Coleman previously said she believed her daughter may have left with someone she met on social media, but she was unable to prove the allegation.
"I have tried so hard to get every law enforcement agency to help me find my daughter," she said.
Following news of Arellano's discovery, an X account said to belong to her grandmother wrote: "KYLIE ARELLANO HAS BEEN FOUND AND RESCUED!!!!! Thank you to everyone who has prayed and shared her posts!!"
What Are ‘Gore Groups’?
The FBI has raised awareness of "gore groups" such as 764 over the past year, warning parents about organizations that blackmail minors and coerce them into performing violent or sexual acts to themselves and others, footage of which is then circulated among members.
764 and similar groups were built upon a shared extremist ideology that promotes societal collapse and celebrates violence, the FBI reported. Members used encrypted chats to identify vulnerable targets, manipulate them into compliance and force them to produce extremist content that include self-harm, harm to animals and sexual exploitation of siblings, as well as threats of violence, suicide and murder.
The group also produces detailed guides on how to groom and exploit potential victims, which encourages members to target vulnerable individuals suffering from depression or mental illness. Some victims have been reported to be as young as 13 years old.
Last month, 764 leader Prasan "Trippy" Nepal, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child following his arrest by the FBI. Nepal, who is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2027, faces a minimum penalty of 15 years and maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
"This is the latest victory in the FBI's work with partners to dismantle the violent 764 network," Patel said in a statement on October 9. "Prasan Nepal, a leader of 764, pleaded guilty for his role in exploiting juveniles—not only breaking the law himself but recruiting others to participate in the heinous conduct targeting kids online through sexual assault, pornography, animal crushing, and more."
"Dismantling 764 and their online network has been a top priority for this FBI, with a nearly 500 percent increase in 764-related arrests last year with our state and local partners," he continued. "We are finding these criminal actors all over the country no matter where they operate. Let there be no doubt that the FBI and our partners will use all our resources to protect children and bring to justice those who commit acts of terrible abuse."
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their website rainn.org.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.
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