Verdict reached in trial for Los Gatos mom accused of hosting drunken teen sex parties

"The jury alerted the judge Wednesday morning that they had reached a verdict -- but it has not been read yet. O'Connor faces 63 counts of furnishing alcohol to children, child endangerment and other crimes. Prosecutors say she is charged with crimes back in 2021, but the teens testified their involvement with O'Connor dated back to 2019 - when some of them were as young as 11 years old."

"Videos shown in court showed the teens drunk beyond comprehension, alcohol stocked in the fridge and O'Connor there present for it all. Parties were held at her home, local parks and even hotels. The teens allege she hosted parties, at which she offered alcohol and encouraged them to perform sexual acts with each other."

"O'Connor's attorney Stephen Prekoski chose to defend only against counts involving non-consensual sexual acts among the teens, annoying and molesting a child charges, dissuading a witness and child endangerment. Prekoski said he was not there to suggest his client was innocent of all crimes. But he challenged the jury to find the evidence to suggest O'Connor ever coerced the teens to ignore consent, put them in situations of great bodily harm, or experienced sexual arousal from teens' actions."

Shannon O'Connor, a Los Gatos mother, faced a jury verdict on 63 counts including furnishing alcohol to children and child endangerment. Prosecutors alleged crimes dating to 2021, though teens testified their involvement began in 2019 when some were as young as 11 years old. Parties occurred at her home, local parks, and hotels. Court videos showed intoxicated teens, stocked alcohol, and O'Connor's presence. The prosecution argued her actions constituted gross departure from ordinary careful conduct. O'Connor's defense challenged evidence of coercion, bodily harm, or sexual arousal claims. O'Connor did not testify, facing potential decades in prison.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco