A Fort Gordon soldier was sentenced to prison Monday after pleading guilty to having sex with an underage girl.

Sgt. Nicholas J. Barbour, 22, of Company A, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion, was sentenced to one year in a military prison and given a bad conduct discharge and a reduction in rank to private, said Marla Jones, a civilian spokeswoman at the post.

She said the defendant faced a court-martial Monday morning on charges of disobeying a lawful order, sodomy, adultery and sex with an underage person.

Ms. Jones said Sgt. Barbour was accused of being approached by the girl after he visited a Web site while he was in Iraq with his unit.

Sgt. Barbour went to Rossville, Ga. - just south of Chattanooga, Tenn. - to meet the girl after returning to the United States in November, Ms. Jones said.

She said the girl had told him she was 18 but later admitted she was 15 before they met in person.

Sgt. Barbour and the victim had sexual relations in December and January, Ms. Jones said, and the sergeant was ordered in February by his commander to break off contact with the girl - an order he violated Feb. 10.

In a separate court-martial Monday afternoon, a staff sergeant pleaded guilty to charges that he had inappropriate sexual and personal relations with trainee soldiers and that he lied about it to officials.

Staff Sgt. Geoffrey D. Pickett Jr., 26, of Company C, 369th Signal Battalion, was sentenced to 60 days in confinement by a military judge, Col. Donna Wright, Ms. Jones said. The staff sergeant was also given a reduction in pay grade and rank to the E-4 level.

Reach Jeremy Craig at (706) 823-3409 or jeremy.craig@augustachronicle.com.