A former Social Security Administration judge in Alabama allegedly had sex with a woman claimant at the federal court house in Tuscaloosa, according to charges involving a public official accepting a gratuity, theft, and obstruction filed against him Tuesday.

Paul Stribling Conger, Jr.,73, of Akron, Ala., also entered a plea agreement Tuesday with the U.S. Attorney's Office to the charges of theft of government property, obstructing justice, and accepting a gratuity, according to court documents.

"This unfortunate situation represents an anomaly in the long, distinguished career of an excellent judge and a good person," Mark White, attorney for Conger, stated in an email to Al.com. "Judge Conger has accepted responsibility for his actions and is prepared to face the consequences."

An arraignment has been set for Sept. 15 for Conger on the charges.

Conger, a former Circuit judge in Tuscaloosa County, denied to federal agents that he had sex with the woman, according to the court documents. Agents had been investigating Conger for trading social security benefits for sexual favors, according to the court documents.

According to a court document charging Conger:

From May 1999 until April 2014, Conger served as an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the Social Security Administration.

He presided over hearings that determined the eligibility for SSA benefits of claimants who asserted a disability and other claims.

In July 2013, Conger was presiding over the hearing of a claimant, a woman identified as T.M.

T.M. was subsequently approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which included future monthly payments and retroactive benefits. In November 2013, T.M. discussed Conger with a mutual acquaintance of theirs, identified as Individual A.

"Individual A" related information to T.M. about Conger that led T.M. to approach Conger in an effort to receive her retroactive SSI benefits, totaling about $10,000 in a lump sum because T.M. needed the money all at once.

On Nov. 19, 2013, T.M. met Conger in his chambers at the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa. T.M. was seeking to receive the retroactive SSI benefits she had been awarded in a lump sum.

At the federal courthouse, on that occasion, the two engaged in a sex act and other sexual contact. T.M. and Conger remained in communication by phone, including calls and text messages over the ensuing weeks. Conger invited T.M. to return to the courthouse in late November.

Conger accessed T.M.'s claim records held within the Social Security Administration database to learn more about her. This included the use and accessing of T.M.'s identifiers, including her social security account number.

In early December 2013, Conger became the subject of a workplace complaint that led the Office of Inspector General to investigate his conduct. Conger determined that he needed to obtain T.M.'s phone to destroy it in order to eliminate records of their connection, contacts, and communications.

During the month of December 2013, Conger met with and paid a person only identified as "Individual B" money to obtain T.M.'s phone and destroy it. Conger provided information from T.M.'s SSA files, including T.M.'s confidential medical information and social security account number, in order to assist Individual B in locating T.M.

Over many days, Conger and Individual B discussed Individual B's efforts to obtain and destroy the phone.

Also in December 2013, Conger spoke to Individual B about Conger being investigated for misconduct in the workplace, and about a criminal investigation. Conger told Individual B that he (Conger) would never admit to any connection with T.M.

If asked, Conger stated he would claim that T.M. came to his chambers to thank him for awarding her benefits, and that was all. Conger stated he would never admit to having sexual contact with a claimant.

Also in December 2013, Conger told Individual B that he (Conger) had learned from Individual A that he (Conger) was being investigated for trading social security benefits for sexual favors.

Also in December 2013, Conger told Individual B to destroy the SSA records of T.M. On or about June 1, 2015, federal agents interviewed Conger, who told agents that he had never had sexual contact with any SSA beneficiary, and that he had never fondled anyone, at the federal courthouse or at any location.

Conger told agents that there was a claimant who came to his chambers at the Tuscaloosa federal courthouse to thank him for awarding her benefits. Conger stated he never had any physical or sexual contact with her. Conger told agents that anything the claimant said had to be taken with a grain of salt.

Conger was provided a letter informing him that he was the target of a federal grand jury investigation. Conger asked if the questions asked by the agents related to the grand jury investigation, and was told that the questions were precisely related to the grand jury's investigation. Conger again stated that he never engaged in any sex act or had sexual contact with anyone. Conger added that she did not have proof that he (Conger) had sex with anyone. Conger stated that everything he told the agents was true.