Verdict reached in trial of Los Gatos mother accused of drunken teen sex parties
By Tim Fang
A verdict has been reached in the trial of a Los Gatos woman who is accused of hosting parties for her teenage son and her friends, in which she encouraged drinking and sexual acts.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the verdict will be read Wednesday in the trial of Shannon Marie O’Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga. The 52-year-old was indicted on 63 charges, including child endangerment for furnishing alcohol to minors and aiding and abetting sexual assault.
Prosecutors accused O’Connor of staging at least six alcohol-fueled parties in 2020 and 2021 at her-then home in Los Gatos and other places. She allegedly bought beer, vodka, whiskey and condoms and encouraged the teens, who were mostly 14 and 15, to drink to the point of unconsciousness.
She is also accused of telling the teens to keep the gatherings a secret. On several occasions, O’Connor helped teens sneak out of their homes in the middle of the night to attend the parties, according to court documents.
According to prosecutors, at one party, O’Connor handed a teen a condom and pushed him into a room with another teen who was intoxicated. At a New Year’s party with five 14-year-olds, prosecutors said she watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed.
O’Connor and her two sons moved to Idaho in 2021, where she was arrested. At the time of her arrest, sheriff’s deputies in Ada County found 10 underage boys and two girls at her home and suspected she was hosting similar parties in Idaho.
