XML Sockets and Images

Not sure this is the correct subforum, but i think so anyway.

Heres the setting:

I have a backend with access to a database. In this database there is a byte[] field where i store images. My frontend (Flash Lite 3.0) communicates with the backend through XMLSockets.

The problem:

I want to send over the byte[] through the XMlSockets to the frontend and load them, but im not sure how…
Do i just send the byte[]? Do i convert it to string or something? Any ideas?