Facing charges ranging from child endangerment to sexual assault for what are described as “alcohol-fueled sex parties for young teenagers,” the multiple-aliased Shannon O'Connor pleaded not guilty to all 39 criminal charges against her in a San Jose courtroom Monday morning.
It was one year ago next week that the Los Gatos “Party Mom” Shannon O'Connor arrived in the news cycle, with a slew of accusations that she had been throwing alcohol-fueled parties for teens during the pandemic and encouraging sex acts and non-consensual sex among the very inebriated youngsters. (It also appears she may have done the same after moving to Idaho.) O’Connor, who also went by Shannon Bruga, has been held without bail in San Jose since the story broke, on 39 counts including child endangerment, child molestation and sexual assault.
O’Connor appeared in court Monday morning, and NBC Bay Area reports she pleaded not guilty to all of the charges involving what the station describes as “alcohol-fueled sex parties for young teenagers." Neither O’Connor nor her attorney commented further.
But NBC Bay Area spoke to the mother of an alleged victim who endured assaults at O’Connor’s parties when she was aged 14 and 15.
"She has good days and bad days; I'm trying to let her be a regular teenager," the mother told the station anonymously. "I'd like her to forget about all of this, but we can't, right? Because we have to make sure this woman is held accountable for the crimes she committed and the people she manipulated and took advantage of. And they're all children, including her own. She's a real monster, a menace to society, she’s a master manipulator and she should not be on the streets."
And O’Connor may not be the only one in legal trouble. NBC Bay Area reported last December that Los Gatos High school officials had received complaints from parents 10 months before O’Connor’s arrest. One parent emailed the school saying, “We have many photos of these kids at [O’Connor’s] home, drinking, passed out, in bed (with what looks like no clothing).”
Whereas O’Connor could end up facing additional charges, as she allegedly tried to hide assets after her arrest, and also allegedly coached one of her sons to not cooperate with the police investigation.
O’Connor is scheduled to appear in court again on December 12, and her trial’s preliminary hearings are scheduled to begin on January 23, 2023.
Image: Santa Clara County District Attorney
