Alaska lawmaker’s chief of staff arrested on sex trafficking and child exploitation charges

A legislator’s chief of staff was arrested in Juneau on Friday on federal charges of sex trafficking and child exploitation, enticement and coercion and creating child sexual abuse material. Craig Scott Valdez, 36, was chief of staff to Sutton Republican Sen. George Rauscher since November, and worked in Rauscher’s office since 2021, according to a government staffing website Legistorm. Rauscher was not immediately available for comment Friday. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Claire Stremple for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com.
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