Nashua - A New Hampshire man who worked for a private contractor in Afghanistan has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after his conviction on charges of importing child pornography.

James Markwith, 31, formerly of Nashua, pleaded guilty in September to a single count of transporting and distributing a visual depiction of a minor for distribution into the United States.

Prosecutors said while Markwith was attending a job-training program for DynCorp International in Fort Worth, Texas, he became acquainted with another person and, after Markwith was transferred to Afghanistan, their conversations became sexual in nature. In April, Markwith sent the other person images of child pornography from Afghanistan.

In June, Markwith was arrested in by federal agents in Nashua.

He will serve lifetime parole once he completes the 240-month sentence.