This afternoon, Shannon O’Connor—the woman who psychologically abused teenagers and hosted dangerous parties featuring plenty of alcohol for youth during the pandemic (and came to be known as the “Party Mom,” even by the DA’s Office)—was sentenced to a prison term of more than 35 years by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth C. Peterson.
But it was less than the 41+ years originally requested by the prosecution, as a charge was officially dropped (due to a minor mix-up during the verdict stage, though the judge said this wouldn’t affect the length of custody) and the impact of the furnishing-alcohol-to-a-minor-offenses was reevaluated (dropping the possible prison term by several years).
This week, victims and their parents had their opportunity to communicate directly to O’Connor and the court via victim impact statements. In person, as well as by letter, they shared gut-wrenching, and at times inspiring, accounts of surviving various forms of sexual, mental, emotional and spiritual abuse.
“When the righteous walk in, the demonic will squirm,” said Jane Doe 8, referencing a saying she heard at the time of her testimony. “I was still and confident. And Shannon, you were not. I watched you squirm.”
O’Connor had been looking at the speaker, but suddenly turned her head down and away—and didn’t return her gaze that direction for quite some time.
Jane Doe 8 shared with the court how, after her relationship with O’Connor, her grades dropped, and opportunities she’d once believed were in reach, seemed to slip from her grasp.
She also read a statement from her sister, Jane Doe 9, who, unlike the majority of other victims, had decided to forgive O’Connor for her behavior.
“This case does not define me, and nobody can hurt me like you did ever again,” she said. “I want the court to understand that I am not the same person I was when this began. I have carried the weight of what happened, but I have also done the work to rebuild my life, regain my sense of safety, and move forward with purpose.”
Their mother spoke next, and for this O’Connor was at full attention. Patty Doe—who’d arrived from Idaho despite having one leg in a brace—reamed the defendant out, while breaking down.
“I served you tea,” she said as O’Connor swallowed a lump in her throat. “I thought you were nice.”
O’Connor nodded.
“I was fooled by that soft-spoken voice,” she said. “You used gifts to groom and influence my daughter.”
She was particularly disturbed by the discovery of one specific item—a piece of lingerie.
Patty Doe said she’d managed get official confirmation that dozens of anonymous mystery calls in a single day were from O’Connor.
“We re-counted those phone calls,” she said. “Thirty eight!”
In a sentencing document, the People reminded the judge of the defendant’s crimes.
“Shannon O’Connor victimized an entire community of children and parents from 2019-2021. The 43-year-old mother engaged in deeply predatory behavior by individually seeking out middle school children, messaging them incessantly through snapchat and befriending and establishing trust with them,” it reads. “The twenty teenagers who testified in this trial described the defendant’s constant grooming, manipulation, and hyper-sexualization of young teens which led to countless sexual assaults of minors under her watch, close observation and encouragement for her own sexual gratification.
“In order to facilitate these sexual encounters, the defendant hosted weekly chaotic alcohol-soaked benders for over a year providing endless amounts of alcohol that dangerously endangered these minor teen’s lives. Children were intoxicated to the point of vomiting, choking on their own vomit, loss of consciousness, and loss of physical and mental faculty to consent to any sexual encounters.
“There were thousands of dollars’ worth of property damage, broken bones, concussions, and wildly dangerous behavior. Despite warnings from parents, children needing surgery from broken bones or aggravated illness and concussions, the defendant did not stop at any point in her relentless grooming or alcohol parties. Instead, the defendant aggressively kept these secrets. The defendant prolifically lied to parents, homeowners, and the police to effectuate these parties and keep them a secret. These children and families will live with the shame and trauma of the defendant’s crimes for a lifetime.”
On Thursday morning, a significantly haggard-looking O’Connor opted to do what she’d declined to at trial—speak on her own behalf.
“I’m not here to make excuses,” she said, wiping a tear from her right eye, “—for my actions. I’m fully aware of how you all feel about me. And how you view me. I know that you all entrusted me and I let you all down.”
The first thing she mentioned feeling bad about is missing major milestones in her kids’ lives.
“They—as well as your sons and daughters—have suffered. They have lived these past five years parentless,” she said. “This case has also ruined my husband’s reputation and career—and our marriage. I even had to uproot my elderly mother to care for my boys.”
The defendant, who was convicted of indirectly causing two felony sexual assaults, along with dissuading a witness, many furnishing-alcohol-to-a-minor charges and a bunch of child-endangerment-where-great-bodily-injury-is-likely offenses, said there are no words for how remorseful she is.
“I am responsible for the harmful situation that I put your daughters and sons through,” she said. “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 stated that she doesn’t feel sorry for herself.
“I’m sorry for all of you and what I put you through,” she said. “I am ashamed, and I face every day knowing that I was the cause of so many people’s anguish. I want you all to know that I live every day wishing I could take everything back.”
But she had a huge caveat to put on the record.
“However, there is one thing that does not sit right in my soul,” she said. “I have never had any sexual inclinations for your children or towards any minor. In fact, I am the victim—”
This ignited scoffing across the courtroom, as she continued slowly with, “—of sexual abuse. And I would never want to inflict that pain onto others.”
Candice Nguyen, of the NBC Bay Area, was the first person she thanked. “She went above and beyond. She investigated,” she said, adding later that the reporter had “uncovered” issues in the narrative against her. Nguyen referred questions about O’Connor bringing her name into her only statement to the court to NBC.
O’Connor also went on a tangent about her own 80-year-old mom.
“My mother was not involved in this,” she said, diving into territory that was not at issue in the trial. “Blame me. Not my mom.”
And the defendant said she was under the impression that everyone was quite curious about why she didn’t have a bunch of supporters in the courtroom.
“Where is everyone for Shannon?” she said, describing what she thought people were probably wondering. “They’re where they need to be. Away from me.”
O’Connor begged the court for leniency.
“I am redeemable,” she said, tearing up while thinking of the victim impact statements from the prior day. “Lock me up and throw away the key. That seemed to be the narrative yesterday: Give her the maximum sentence. I understand how you feel. But I’m also not a person that is not redeemable.”
She also blamed at least some of her behavior on abuse at the hands of her husband, which the judge found was not a credible allegation, based on the evidence presented.
Victims told the court that O’Connor had altered the course of their lives in major ways.
“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,” wrote Jane Doe 12.
“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,” wrote Rylan Doe.
Jane Doe 5 wrote about first encountering O’Connor in May of 2020, and about how she started communicating with her and her friends via Snapchat and Fortnite games.
“Shannon O’Connor held me prisoner for almost 6 years. It’s her turn to serve a very long sentence in jail,” she wrote. “You will not see me reading this statement in person because I am moving on, finally having this weight lifted from my shoulders. I am done. I am in college, working hard, having fun, making friends. Living my life and not letting Shannon hold me back one more day.
After lunch, the judge imposed the maximum sentence in this case, and ordered O’Connor to pay more than $200,000 to Hewlett Packard to resolve another case.
Judge Peterson said she was “astounded” by the strength and resilience and fortitude demonstrated by the victims and their families.
“The healing process is a long, unpredictable path and will certainly continue on beyond today’s hearing,” she said. “Today, for the purposes of my words, I would like to change the narrative a bit and refer to you not as victims, but as survivors.”
Peterson also said O’Connor “persistently and masterfully manipulated” the children, their parents and even police.
“When parents became suspicious of her conduct…she reflexively drew other children into her lair,” the judge said. “They were sexualized and used as instruments in a scheme they were too young to fully understand.”
Because she’s been in jail already for about five years, O’Connor gets plenty of credits to reduce her sentence.
“She has a maximum of about 12 more years to serve,” defense lawyer Stephen Prekoski told the Los Gatan. The DA’s Office disputed this calculation, but did not provide their own figure in their news release. Prekoski said he was planning to appeal.
One of the victims’ parents acknowledged some discontent that the maximum sentence potential was lowered at the last minute, due to the way the furnishing-alcohol-to-a-minor offenses were charged. But overall, she said, it was a joyous occasion.
“Free Party Mom!” a male inmate yelled from the jail tower above the Hall of Justice, a little after 3pm, with at least one of the survivors in earshot.
“It was just a heavy day,” the mother of Jane Doe 7 said.
Jane Doe 4’s mom said she was pleased O’Connor got the maximum.
“The judge understood the vastness of this,” she said.
