An Anchorage man was arrested in Juneau following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Alaska. The charges include sex trafficking of children, sexual exploitation of children through the production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of children, and receipt of child pornography.
According to public court documents, Craig Scott Valdez, 36, allegedly used Snapchat to identify and groom juvenile females in Alaska for sexual exploitation. The indictment is related to one minor victim from an incident in October 2025. Authorities believe Valdez may have targeted or attempted to target other juveniles in Anchorage and Juneau. He is currently employed as a state worker in both cities.
Valdez faces one count each of Sex Trafficking of Children under 18 U.S.C. § 1591; Sexual Exploitation of Children (Production of Child Pornography) under 18 U.S.C. § 2251; Coercion and Enticement of Children under 18 U.S.C. § 2242(b); and Receipt of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A. If convicted, he could receive a sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska stated: "An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office joined Heyman in announcing the arrest.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Anchorage Police Department as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Authorities urge anyone with information about Valdez or who may have encountered someone using the names “Craig Scott Valdez,” “NONAME20233132,” or “DOCHANK” online or offline to contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or submit tips anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting this case.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
