A California woman — dubbed the “party mom” by local authorities — has been sentenced to decades in prison after throwing alcohol-fueled parties for young teens and orchestrating sexual misconduct between the minors.
The Santa Clara District Attorney announced Thursday that 52-year-old Shannon O’Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga, was sentenced to 35 years and 10 months in prison — the maximum punishment.
‘The trauma shattered parts of me, and every day I wake up, I’m rebuilding what you broke.’
O’Connor has been in jail since her arrest in 2021, and she will receive credit for time served.
She also was ordered to register as a sex offender.
As Blaze News reported in March, O’Connor was convicted of 48 charges — including two felony charges of sexual penetration.
The Mercury News previously reported, “The sexual penetration convictions were the most serious, as prosecutors argued that O’Connor sexually assaulted the two girls by enabling them to become so intoxicated they could not legally consent.”
The district attorney said O’Connor hosted “drunken parties for young teenagers where she bought alcohol and egged on sex acts — some with teens too drunk to consent.”
The district attorney’s office said O’Connor hosted “drunken and destructive parties” for teens for two years.
Authorities said O’Connor would message teenagers and encourage them to leave their homes in the middle of the night and come to her house to drink alcohol.
The DA said O’Connor supplied vodka, Fireball whiskey, and condoms to teens who attended parties at her home.
“At one party, O’Connor handed an underaged teenager a condom and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated minor,” the district attorney stated.
“During a New Year’s Eve party with about five 14-year-olds, the defendant watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed,” the statement read.
The DA noted, “In another case, the defendant brought one drunk teen into a bedroom, where an intoxicated 14-year-old girl was lying in the bed.”
According to the district attorney, after the victim was sexually assaulted, she told O’Connor: “Why did you leave me in there with him? Like, you knew, like, what he was going to do to me.”
During the trial, one of the female victims told the courtroom she became suicidal from the trauma she experienced at a house party, the DA said.
The district attorney noted that O’Connor instructed the victims to not tell anyone about the parties because she could go to jail.
Police said O’Connor allowed a minor to drive her SUV in the parking lot of Los Gatos High School with two other teens holding on to the back. However, one of the teens fell off the vehicle and was knocked unconscious, according to authorities.
O’Connor was arrested in October 2021 in Idaho.
When detectives went to O’Connor’s house to arrest her, there were “10 underage boys and two girls at her home — most of whom spent the night there,” according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
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KABC-TV reported that a victim during the hearing said, “I wish I could say that every memory with you has been healed with time, but I still find myself crying myself to sleep over the way that you took complete advantage of me.”
Another victim said, “Shannon O’Connor held me prisoner for almost six years. It’s her turn to serve a very long sentence in jail.”
Yet another victim added, “The trauma shattered parts of me, and every day I wake up, I’m rebuilding what you broke.”
The mother of one of the victims during the hearing said, “When people call you a monster, pedophile, rapist, they had it right. You preyed upon my daughter by supplying her alcohol, enticing a sexual situation, and pushing her when she was not in a place to consent.”
The Los Gatan reported that one victim said, “I was 11 years old when I met you. That was when you started texting me every day, slowly earning my trust only to use it against me.”
KRON-TV reported that O’Connor apologized to the victims and their families during the sentencing hearing.
“I am responsible for the harmful situation that I put your daughters and sons through,” O’Connor told the courtroom.
“But as I look at you all today, I hope you can find some comfort knowing that I have been punished — and will continue to be for years to come,” O’Connor continued.
She added, “I’m sorry for all of you and what I put you through. I am ashamed, and I face every day knowing that I was the cause of so many people’s anguish.”
O’Connor concluded, “I want you all to know that I live every day wishing I could take everything back.”
However, Deputy District Attorney Joanne Lee described O’Connor’s remarks as “deeply offensive” and showed “zero accountability.”
Before handing down the sentence, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth C. Peterson said she did not find O’Connor “genuinely remorseful.”
Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement:
Many people call this defendant the “Los Gatos Party Mom.”
This isn’t some fun parent giving sips of wine spritzers to kids. She facilitated dangerous and drunken sex acts with these children. She risked their lives and damaged their psyches. She is not a party mom. Shannon O’Connor is a convicted felon. Shannon O’Connor is a registered sex offender.
O’Connor’s lawyer, Stephen Prekoski, said they will appeal, according to KRON.
“She never had a meaningful opportunity to settle this case,” Prekoski stated. “I’m not persuaded by those that believe that she was not remorseful. I’m not persuaded by those that believe that she didn’t take accountability for her actions.”
Kate Gude, the mother of another one of the victims, said after the sentencing, “This shows that when you come together, you put these bad people away, and the kids have a shot. You got to speak up and speak out. It’s the only way to keep everybody safe, happy, and whole.”
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