Alaska GOP State Sen. Rauscher’s chief of staff, Craig Scott Valdez, arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges
Published by RawNews1st
According to court documents, Valdez used Snapchat to identify, groom and entice juvenile females in Alaska for sexual exploitation.
Alaska GOP State Sen. Rauscher’s chief of staff, Craig Scott Valdez, arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges involving at least 12 minors. Faces life in prison if convicted, victims as young as 13.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, the FBI arrested Craig Scott Valdez, 36, after a federal grand jury returned an indictment with charges that include sex trafficking of children.
Investigators say they believe Valdez targeted more than 10 juveniles across Alaska.
At the time of his arrest, the FBI identified Valdez as a current state employee working in Anchorage and Juneau. The 36-year-old was listed as a staff member for Sen. George Rauscher in Juneau on the Alaska Senate Minority website.
Prosecutors said Friday in a detention memo that a review of Valdez’s Snapchat and Cash App activity revealed at least 11 suspected juvenile victims beyond the one named in the indictment.
The indictment charges Valdez’s conduct in relation to a minor victim from an incident in October 2025, and the FBI said he is believed to have victimized or attempted to victimize other juveniles.
State leaders have called Valdez’s arrest and charges shocking.
The Alaska Republican Party also reacted swiftly to the news of Valdez’s arrest.
“The conduct described in federal court filings demands our deepest outrage,” Chairman Carmela Warfield said in a statement. “There is absolutely no place in our state for anyone who would harm a child.”
Warfield also noted that “decisive action” has been taken to remove Valdez from all positions he previously held within the party and the Anchorage Young Republicans.
