Staffer in Alaska Capitol arrested on serious child porn charges

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Feb. 20, 2026 – An Anchorage man who has worked as a staff member in the Legislature was arrested in Juneau after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with multiple child exploitation crimes. Craig Scott Valdez has worked for five years for the Alaska Legislature in various roles.

Valdez, 36, is charged with one count of sex trafficking of children, one count of sexual exploitation of children (production of child pornography), one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography.

Sen. George Rauscher only learned of the charges against Valdez upon being contacted by this writer and had no immediate comment, other than to acknowledge the shockingly seriousness of the charges and saying he needed to find out more about it.

According to a memorandum filed in US District Court for the District of Alaska, the government alleges that Valdez used Snapchat to identify, groom, and entice juvenile females in Alaska for sexual exploitation. Here’s the indictment:

3 26-cr-00014-ACP-KFR

Federal prosecutors allege that on or about Oct. 14, 2025, Valdez arranged through Snapchat to pick up a 15-year-old girl from her family’s Anchorage residence and bring her to his home on Endicott Street for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

According to the court filing, the girl’s sibling alerted their mother, who used a family tracking app to locate her daughter at Valdez’s residence. The mother reportedly heard her daughter say she wanted to go home before entering the residence and removing her. The filing states the minor showed signs of extreme intoxication and difficulty maintaining consciousness.

Prosecutors say Anchorage Police Department patrol officers responded, and that Valdez fled from his residence.

The memorandum further alleges that investigators identified at least eleven other suspected juvenile victims through a preliminary review of Valdez’s Snapchat communications and use of the CashApp platform.

The indictment references Snapchat usernames “noname20233132” and “dochank” in connection with the alleged conduct.

Valdez is charged under:

• 18 U.S.C. § 1591 – Sex trafficking of children

• 18 U.S.C. § 2251 – Sexual exploitation of children (production of child pornography)

• 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) – Coercion and enticement of a minor

• 18 U.S.C. § 2252A – Receipt of child pornography

Because of the nature of the charges, federal prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention, arguing that no conditions of release would reasonably assure the safety of the community. He is currently housed at Lemon Creek Correctional Facility.

If convicted, Valdez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Valdez is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Feb. 23, before US Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon.

Valdez is a graduate of University of Alaska Anchorage and is a former member of the Alaska Youth Court.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Anchorage Police Department as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

US Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and FBI Anchorage Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day announced the arrest.