A former Alabama Social Security Administration judge was sentenced to federal prison today for trading social security benefits for sex.

Paul Stribling Conger Jr., 73, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge Virginia Hopkins. Because of the additional one day, he will be eligible for early release.

"I'm awfully embarrassed to be standing in front of you today," Conger said to the judge. "I'm extremely mortified to be in this particular situation."

The sentence came after Conger, an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration from 1999-2014, pleaded guilty to charges of theft of government property, obstructing justice, and accepting a gratuity in August.

Court documents show in 2013, Conger was presiding over the hearing of a claimant who was approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly payments and benefits. The claimant, who is only identified in records by her initials T.M., approached Conger in Nov. 2013 about receiving her retroactive benefits in a lump sum of about $10,000.

The two then engaged in a sex act and other sexual contact that day at the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa, documents show. T.M. and Conger remained in contact by phone, and Conger invited her to return to the courthouse later that month. She didn't go back.

In Dec. 2013, the former judge began to be investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for sexual misconduct. Conger then hired an unnamed person to find and destroy T.M.'s cell phone, so there was no evidence of the sexual relations between them. Conger got the information needed to find T.M. through her SSA files that included confidential information such as medical records and her social security number. Conger told the unnamed person that he would never admit to the crime.

When federal agents interviewed Conger in June 2015, he told agents T.M. was "nuts as a fruit cake" and everything she said should be "taken with a grain of salt."

At his sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamarra Matthews Johnson said Conger continually tried to discredit T.M. by telling agents about her previous psychiatric problems and drug use. She said he told agents that T.M. was "probably high when she came into my courtroom."

Matthews said Conger, as a judge, was trusted and honored by the public and he should be justly punished for his "abuse of power."

One of Conger's lawyers, Mark White, said at the hearing Conger acknowledges his behavior was inexcusable and unacceptable. "He is the most remorseful person I've ever met."

"I was dumbfounded when he walked into my office...Judge- I couldn't figure it out," White said. "Judges are sometimes reluctant to look in the mirror and say, 'It's time for me to step down'...He took a problem and turned it into a disaster." White continued to say if Conger would have retired sooner from his position, the incident would not have happened.

He did say Conger was mentally competent, but "wasn't thinking" at the time.

Conger and his lawyers asked the court to sentence the former judge to a term of home confinement.

"I really need to be with my family, your honor... I want to continue [reconciling with family] very very badly," Conger said.

When Hopkins announced the sentence, she said that she took into account Conger's age, medical history, former career, and military history.

While the sentence was lower than the state's recommended guidelines, Hopkins said the facts about Conger attempting to destroy T.M.'s cell phone were "very troubling."

Conger was also disbarred today. He was ordered to report to prison on July 24, but that date may be extended if his medical conditions require. He will not face probation after being released from prison.

SSA-OIG and FBI investigated the case, and Johnson prosecuted.