A state legislator's former chief of staff faces charges of child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Federal agents arrested Craig Scott Valdez, 36, early Friday in Juneau, according to court documents. Valdez is an Anchorage resident listed as having served as Republican Wasilla state Sen. George Rauscher's chief of staff since November. Valdez was terminated Friday hours after the charges were made public, according to a press secretary for the state Senate minority caucus, of which Rauscher is a member. Valdez was also elected as chair of the Anchorage Young Republicans in January 2025 and became the group's state committee chair last month, according to social media posts. A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Valdez on charges of sex trafficking a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor " for both allegedly producing and receiving child sexual abuse material " and coercion and enticement of a minor.