California ‘Party Mom’ Shannon O’Connor Hit With 20 Felony Charges as Case Heads to Trial

As her trial date fast approaches, a California mother who authorities allege hosted six debauched, alcohol-fueled parties for her teen son and his friends in 2020 is learning she faces dozens of additional criminal charges.

Shannon Marie O'Connor, 49, who now lives in Idaho, was living in Los Gatos when the parties occurred in her residence. Police allegedly learned of the gatherings in 2021, and she was charged with 39 counts, including felony child abuse, sexual assault, and providing alcohol to minors.

But grand jurors recently returned a 63-count indictment against O'Connor, the Mercury News reports, including counts for child endangerment for furnishing alcohol to minors and aiding and abetting sexual assault.

Police contend O'Connor bought beer, vodka, and whiskey for the teens, as well as cigarettes. Authorities allege some of the underage attendees, mostly 14 and 15, passed out from alcohol consumption.

O'Connor also allegedly encouraged the minors to have sexual encounters. Some, police allege, were non-consensual, and at times, O'Connor would watch the teens fornicating.

The Mercury News reports that 17 alleged victims testified before the grand jury.

One of them, a girl, testified she was so inebriated, she nearly drowned in a hot tub.

Prosecutors allege O'Connor urged the partygoers to keep silent about the gatherings, and even helped some of the teens sneak out of their homes.

At a December 2020 party, O’Connor allegedly handed a condom to a boy and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated girl. Both were minors.

The girl was able to get away and locked herself in the bathroom, authorities said in court filings.

During a New Year’s Eve party at her home with about five 14-year-olds, O’Connor allegedly watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed, authorities alleged.

O'Connor's trial is set to start Nov. 6. It was unclear if she had entered pleas to the new charges.