CHRISTIANSBURG -- A recent Virginia Tech graduate will spend 3 ¹₂ years in prison for possessing child pornography and having inappropriate contact with a teenage girl, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Samuel Fenton Denning, 26, had been charged with two counts of producing child pornography and 50 counts of possessing it, all felonies. But at a hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dean Manor dropped nine counts of possession. He amended three charges, including the two producing charges, to sexual battery and 28 to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, all misdemeanors.

Denning pleaded guilty to those charges and the remaining 12 child pornography charges, which are felonies.

When asked by substitute Judge Colin Campbell whether he wanted to say anything, Denning said he wanted to apologize to the court and his family. He thanked his family for supporting him and acknowledged his situation was a "rough thing to support somebody on."

In August 2008, police began to investigate Denning, who received an undergraduate degree from Tech in 2006 and a master's in 2008, Manor said. Christiansburg police got a complaint from a person who had received an instant message containing images of young girls in sexual poses from someone named Sam. That message was traced back to Denning, Manor said.

In summarizing the evidence that would have been presented at trial, Manor said a police investigation showed that Denning had made contact months earlier with a teenage girl younger than 18. She went to his Blacksburg apartment under the guise of posing for modeling photos, Manor said. The sexual battery charges stemmed from Denning's contact with her.

Denning's attorney, Christopher Tuck, said the girl knew she was being photographed and any acts between her and Denning were consensual.

He also said Denning has been evaluated twice since his arrest in September 2008 and was deemed to be at low risk for re-offending. He also has had no Internet access, Tuck said.

Through a plea agreement, Campbell sentenced Denning to 15 years and six months in prison, with all but three years and six months suspended. He must register as a sex offender and undergo counseling. He will be on probation for 10 years after his release. The judge allowed his probation to be transferred to West Virginia, where Denning's family lives.

Denning has been out of jail on bond but was taken back to jail after Wednesday's hearing.