'Party Mom' Verdict Reached On Child Endangerment, Molestation And More: Report

SAN JOSE, CA — A San Jose jury on Wednesday convicted the "Los Gatos Party Mom" on more than 60 criminal counts following six days of deliberation, according to a report by KRON4.

Shannon O’Connor, a 51-year-old mother, was found guilty of crimes against over a dozen child victims, including child endangerment, molestation, dissuading witnesses and facilitating forcible sexual assault, KRON4 reported.

According to investigators, O'Connor organized secret parties at her mansion during the 2020-2021 school year, providing alcohol to underage Los Gatos High School freshmen and pressuring intoxicated minors into sexual activity.

“We expect, as parents, that we protect children. This defendant took advantage of children, manipulated children, hurt children,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told reporters on Wednesday. “And [she] did that for her own perverse reasons.”

The mother-of-two was charged with 63 counts. Witnesses, many of whom were 14 at the time, described the gatherings as "chaotic, alcohol-soaked benders," testifying that O’Connor encouraged "hookups" and that girls were sexually assaulted, KRON4 reported. The victims reportedly included 12 girls and eight boys.

O’Connor, who has been in custody since her 2021 arrest, faces more than 30 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing Wednesday afternoon. Her defense attorney told KRON4 that she is "crushed and very disappointed."

On Feb. 10, a prosecutor also presented a May 2020 cellphone video, recorded by O’Connor, during court. The video showed a pool party at her house and was deemed relevant because some sexual assaults between minors allegedly occurred in the jacuzzi, and the video proved O’Connor had a clear view of the pool area from her kitchen, according to KRON4.

Prosecutors allege O'Connor witnessed a boy sexually assault an intoxicated victim, Jane Doe 3, in the jacuzzi during a New Year’s Eve 2020 party, according to an affidavit by DA's investigator, Christina Hanks. Hanks said that a witness reported the victim was so intoxicated, she was repeatedly "drowning" and had to be carried from the jacuzzi.

A teenage girl, identified as "Jane Doe 7," testified for several hours on Jan. 13, describing a pattern of manipulation by the defendant, who made her feel trapped. She recounted being underage and binge drinking with a group at O'Connor's house, where the mother reportedly exerted control over the teenagers.

Prosecutors contend O'Connor's actions, including coercing intoxicated Los Gatos High School students into sexual activities for her own gratification, constituted criminal events. Court documents cite evidence such as video footage showing intoxicated students vomiting and smashing cans, surveillance records of numerous liquor deliveries, and the homeowner's account of the house being left in disarray.

O’Connor’s defense attorney, Stephen Prekoski, noted that his client has been held without bail since her arrest, which he stated is “typically reserved for our most serious offenders.” He added, “She's clearly not a murderer. She is, in fact, I think very unlikely to be a repeat offender,” in a statement.

Court documents also revealed that O'Connor frequently hosted private parties for her freshman son and his friends, often serving as the only adult present during her husband's absences. One teenager testified that O'Connor, who was described as acting like a "popular girl," was the sole adult at several clandestine gatherings where more than 30 unsupervised teens engaged in binge drinking and passed out.

In an interview with the Mercury News during the trial, O'Connor suggested that other parents also permitted their teenagers to drink throughout the pandemic and asserted she wasn't fully aware of the amount the teens were consuming.

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