A senior aide to an Alaska state lawmaker is facing sweeping federal charges that prosecutors say reveal a disturbing pattern of targeting underage girls through social media, prompting his immediate removal from both his legislative position and party leadership roles.
Craig Scott Valdez, 36, the former chief of staff to Republican State Sen. George Rauscher, was arrested Friday in Juneau after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with sex trafficking a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
If convicted, Valdez faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and could receive a life sentence.
Federal investigators say the October 2025 incident is part of a larger pattern.
In a detention memo, prosecutors described Valdez as a “compulsive child exploitation offender engaging in high-volume conduct targeting children as young as 13 in Alaska.”
A preliminary review of his Snapchat communications and CashApp activity identified at least 11 additional suspected juvenile victims beyond the minor named in the indictment, according to KTUU.
While investigators continue to probe the broader pattern, the indictment specifically highlights an October 2025 encounter with a 15-year-old girl in Anchorage.
Court filings state that Valdez contacted the teen through Snapchat, arranged to pick her up from her home, and drove her to his residence “for the purpose of sexually exploiting the child to celebrate his birthday,” the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The girl’s sibling alerted their mother, who used a family location-tracking application to locate her daughter at Valdez’s home. After arriving, the mother reportedly heard her daughter say she wanted to leave.
Court documents indicate the mother entered the residence, struck Valdez once, and took her daughter from the home.
According to Alaska Public Media, the teen appeared heavily intoxicated and had difficulty walking and staying conscious. Police arrived shortly afterward, but authorities say Valdez fled the residence.
Authorities say Valdez operated under the usernames “NONAME20233132” and “DOCHANK,” as well as other anonymous “burner” accounts, to contact underage girls.
Prosecutors allege he offered money in exchange for sexually explicit images and commercial sex acts. In one undated exchange cited in court documents, Valdez allegedly wrote, “Hey, just got my PFD. 1k for pics and video.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Anchorage Police Department are leading the investigation as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Valdez’s interactions, either online or in person, to contact the FBI at 907-276-4441 or submit a tip anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
According to the Alaska Beacon, Valdez had worked in Rauscher’s legislative office since 2021, was promoted to chief of staff in November, and was elected chair of the Anchorage Young Republicans in January 2025.
Following his arrest, he was terminated from his legislative role and removed from all positions within the Alaska Republican Party and affiliated organizations.
Rauscher said in a statement Friday evening: “I was informed today of the arrest of a member of my staff in a federal investigation involving extremely serious charges. I learned of this matter after law enforcement action was taken and then from the press. I trust the Department of Justice to handle this appropriately.”
“This is a shock to my office. The employee was terminated,” Rauscher added. “I do not have anything more to say, other than we need the justice system to take its course as the process continues.”
Alaska Republican Party Chairman Carmela Warfield called the allegations “nothing short of horrifying,” stating that Valdez had been removed from all party positions and emphasizing support for law enforcement efforts.
Valdez is scheduled to make an initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
Prosecutors have moved to keep him detained pending trial, arguing that no release conditions would sufficiently protect the community. The investigation remains ongoing.
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