A 27-year-old man has been sentenced under California's "three-strikes" law to 25 years to life in prison for stealing a slice of pepperoni pizza last summer.

The defendant, Jerry Dewayne Williams, was convicted of felony petty theft in January for taking the pizza on July 30 from a group of children on a pier in Redondo Beach.

He was sentenced on Thursday, and must serve 20 years before he is eligible for parole.

Mr. Williams's lawyer, Arnold Lester, said he would appeal, adding, "Mr. Williams will be facing the same sentence as if he'd raped a woman, molested a child or done a carjacking, because the statute does not draw distinctions."

Mr. Williams had prior convictions for robbery, attempted robbery, drug possession and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The three-strikes law, enacted last year, requires longer prison sentences for felons with at least one prior conviction for a serious or violent felony.