(AP) — A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender in Shawnee County.

Richard David Honn was sentenced to 22 years and eight months for failing to register every three months as a violent offender. Honn was charged twice in Shawnee County for offender registration counts, the first time in 2011 and again this year.

His lawyer, David McDonald, says the sentence is excessive and that people convicted of registration offenses are receiving prison terms longer than for killing or raping someone.

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor disagrees. He says the sentence stems from a “powerful tool” provided by the Legislature that makes failure to register as an offender a felony.