A Lawrence man — now designated a persistent sexual offender — has been sentenced to more than 26 years in prison for his second child molestation conviction.

Ronald E. Throne II, 31, must serve 322 months in prison, Douglas County District Court Judge Kay Huff ordered at Throne’s sentencing on Friday. When he is released, he will remain a registered sex offender and be subject to supervision for the remainder of his life, Huff said.

Throne’s recent conviction makes him a “persistent sexual offender,” the judge said, a status that amplifies state sentencing guidelines for the crimes.

On Nov. 8, a jury convicted Throne of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of electronic solicitation of a child, one count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of lewd and lascivious behavior, all felonies; and one count of promoting obscenity to a minor, a misdemeanor.

The crimes happened on the same day in May 2016. The victim was 15 at the time.

At trial the victim testified that Throne — who lived in a trailer park adjacent to hers — invited her into his pickup truck to get out of the rain, then later to his home to play video games, and molested her at both locations. He also sent her sexually explicit text messages.

Prosecutor Alice Walker read aloud a letter from the victim, who was in the courtroom but did not speak during the hearing.

The crimes caused her to create a “shell” around herself, the victim said in her letter.

“I pushed people away because I was scared to trust them,” she said.

She said she had nightmares, lost friends, skipped school to avoid being around people and spent most of her time at home shut in her room with earphones in. She said she also cut herself.

“I wanted to get rid of how I was feeling — which was alone and useless,” she said.

The teen said she didn’t want Throne to be able to victimize anyone else.

Throne’s previous sex-offense conviction was in 2007 in Crawford County, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation offender registry. He was convicted of two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of an 11-year-old to commit a sex act, a felony, occurring in 2006, according to the KBI.

Throne’s sentence in that case expired in 2014, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Throne has remained jailed since his arrest in the new case.

Walker said Friday that Throne has continued to perpetrate crimes against children and not taken accountability for what he had done.

“The state believes that makes him an extreme danger to the community,” Walker said.