"Prosecutors contend that the alleged crimes stemmed from O'Connor's desire to bolster her son's social status at school, including cultivating a reputation as a cool mom who allowed him and his friends to drink alcohol at her Los Gatos home as early as their middle-school years. Once her son entered Los Gatos High School they allege that both the size of the parties and her role in encouraging sexual activity between underage boys and girls escalated."
"One teen recounted nearly drowning in a bathtub after a night of heavy drinking, and several recalled having little to no memory of being sexually penetrated. In one instance, a teenage boy reportedly suffered a serious head injury after falling from an SUV during a drunken joyride in the high school parking lot with O'Connor behind the wheel."
"A jury was handed the case Tuesday, with several days of deliberation at minimum expected as they sort through reams of information and evaluate the individual charges, 20 of which cover alleged felonies for child endangerment and aiding and abetting sexual assault, and 43 misdemeanor counts related to furnishing alcohol to minors."
Shannon O'Connor, 51, faces 63 felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly orchestrating sex-and-alcohol-filled parties for her teenage son and his friends during the pandemic era. Prosecutors argue O'Connor sought to enhance her son's social status by establishing herself as a permissive parent who provided alcohol to minors starting in middle school. As her son progressed to Los Gatos High School, the parties escalated in size and O'Connor allegedly encouraged sexual activity between underage attendees. Former teen attendees testified about dangerous incidents including near-drowning, sexual assault while intoxicated with memory loss, and a serious head injury from a drunken vehicle incident. The 20 felony charges include child endangerment and aiding and abetting sexual assault, while 43 misdemeanor counts relate to furnishing alcohol to minors. O'Connor did not testify in her defense.
#sexual-assault-of-minors #underage-drinking #child-endangerment #criminal-trial #parental-negligence
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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