'Nothing Short of Horrifying:' Alaska Rep's Chief of Staff Jailed for Child Eploitation, Trafficking

A man who had worked in the office of a state senator has been arrested on charges of federal sex trafficking and child exploitation.

The suspect was 36-year-old Craig Scott Valdez, who was detained at the state capital and booked into federal custody. The chief-of-staff was arrested in Juneau on Friday, authorities say.

The arrest comes after a week-long investigation revealed a pattern of abuse that included social media apps and cash transfer services.

Valdez has been in the orbit of Senator George Rauscher since 2021. He serves as the chair of the Anchorage Young Republicans, a position he held beginning January of 2025, putting him in contact with young voters.

When the news of the arrest broke, Rauscher couldn't be reached for comment. A Senate Minority Caucus spokesman said Valdez was fired from his legislative post immediately.

The Alaska Republican Party issued a statement calling the charges 'nothing short of horrifying' and said Valdez would be removed from all positions within the party.

Horrifying use of political power

The essence of the case is an episode in October 2025 of a 15-year-old girl. Court documents say Valdez used Snapchat to lure her to his home in Anchorage 'for the purposes of sexually exploiting the child to celebrate his birthday.'

The girl's sibling witnessed the exchange of the messages and alerted their mother.

The mother used a tracking app to find where Valdez's house was and drove there. She called the police and then entered the residence and hit Valdez on the face once. The girl was found to be 'exhibiting signs of extreme drug or alcohol intoxication' and had trouble walking and staying conscious.

Police showed up, but Valdez ran away before they could arrest him. The mother recorded the chat on the girl's phone and sent screenshots of the chat to law enforcement. The girl told us that she was introduced to Valdez by other kids at the age of 13 or 14.

Federal agents believe the incident was not isolated

They suspect that Valdez has targeted other minors and perhaps used digital platforms to help the abuse.

The pursuit is being spearheaded by the FBI Anchorage office. They have at least 11 additional victims after digging through Valdez's Snapchat chats and Cashapp usage. The suspect worked using the username 'NONAME20233132' or 'DOCHANK.'

Under those aliases, according to investigators, Valdez 'exhibited a compulsive pattern of behaviour bombarding children he finds on Snapchat with requests for sexually explicit images and even more concerning, causing and attempting to cause children to engage in commercial sex acts.'

Reactions from the legislature party

Senator Rauscher's office did not immediately respond.

The Senate Minority Caucus confirmed the termination, but shied away from more detail. The fact that the Alaska Republican Party responded quickly to the allegations reflected their seriousness.

Valdez has been purged of any and all office in the Alaska Republican Party and Young Republicans.

The incident has come under outcry from constituents, with many demanding tougher vetting of staffers who work with vulnerable populations.

Valdez is coming for his day in federal court on 23rd February. Four felony charges are hanging above his head: sex trafficking, child exploitation, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.

The punishment, if convicted, varies from 15 years to life imprisonment. The case highlights the intolerance of the federal judiciary to any form of child sexual exploitation.