Chief of staff to Alaska legislator arrested on sex trafficking, other charges

Craig Scott Valdez, 36, was fired immediately after arrest on Friday; US Attorney’s Office states numerous minors in Anchorage and Juneau may be victims

Craig Scott Valdez, left, and a Snapchat avatar he allegedly used, according to a federal court indictment. (U.S. District Court document)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This is a developing story.

The chief of state to an Alaska state senator was arrested Friday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on sex trafficking and other sex crime charges involving a minor.

Craig Scott Valdez, 36, an Anchorage resident and a legislative staff member for the past five years, is accused of using "the popular social media application Snapchat to identify, groom and entice juvenile females in Alaska for the purposes of sexual exploitation," according to a press release issued Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage.

"The indictment charges this conduct in relation to one minor victim from an incident occurring in October 2025, but Valdez is believed to have victimized or attempted to victimize other juveniles in Anchorage and Juneau," the release states.

"If anyone has information concerning Valdez’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone using the name ‘Craig Scott Valdez’ or usernames ‘NONAME20233132’ or ‘DOCHANK’ in person or online, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov."

Valdez is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children involving production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of children, and one count of receipt of child pornography. He was incarcerated at Lemon Creek Correctional Center on Friday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court on Monday.

He had served as the chief of staff since last November to Sen. George Rauscher, R-Sutton, a member of the senate’s minority caucus. Valdez also served as the chair of the Alaska Young Republicans beginning in January 2025, but his name was removed from the leadership page of the organization’s website Friday .

A statement issued by the Senate Minority Caucus spokesperson Cassandra Day on Friday noted "Mr. Valdez has been terminated from legislature effective immediately."

“Because this is an ongoing investigation, the caucus currently does not have any information regarding the issue outside of what is publicly available," Day wrote. “The caucus trusts the Department of Justice to handle the investigation appropriately, and we appreciate their hard work to defend and protect all of Alaska’s children."

The nine-page indictment of Valdez cites a specific incident involving a 15-year-old girl he met on Snapchat and subsequently took to his house. A sibling of the girl alerted their mother, who called police and then went to the residence to intervene. The indictment states the mother struck Valdez in the face and then rescuedher daughter, who exhibited signs of extreme drug or alcohol intoxication and had difficulty walking and maintaining consciousness."

Prosecutors say the FBI has identified at least 11 other potential underage victims, according to court documents.

Valdez faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted on all charges, according to the press release.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.