Robert Amaral: Shannon O'Connor's husband had his 'head in the sand', was unaware of teen sex parties
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Shannon O'Connor remained mute and kept her head down as her victims, both current and former Los Gatos High School students, testified in court on Friday, April 21. O'Connor reportedly hosted unsettling alcohol-fueled teen sex parties at her Los Gatos property between 2021 and 2022 without her husband Robert Amaral's knowledge.
Investigators claimed that O'Connor went to extreme measures to hide the parties from her husband, parents, and the police. Additionally, she was always the lone adult present at the wild parties, according to court records cited by KRON4. Parents of several of the alleged teen victims stated they found it hard to believe O'Connor's spouse, Amaral, didn't know more about what is purported to have taken place inside his home. Acquaintances of the couple claim that he refused to accept that she was facilitating teen misconduct in their home, according to Mercury News.
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'Only so much plausible deniability'
One former acquaintance, whose son attended parties at the property, stated, "We thought he [Robert Amaral] was buying into her lies. But the longer it went on... there's only so much plausible deniability he can have," according to Mercury News.
Prosecutors claimed in court documents that during the first alleged house party in the summer of 2020, O'Connor "realized her husband was almost home, she rushed the minors out of the house to hide her actions from her husband."
Former Santa Clara County deputy district attorney and legal analyst Steven Clark said prosecutors would be hesitant to charge Amaral unless there was conclusive evidence of his involvement. He said, "It's not just that these events went on under her watch. She aided and facilitated these events. There's a big distinction there."
Clark claimed that in contrast, "It doesn't appear the teens were under his control. Even if he should have suspected something was going on and was lackadaisical to what was going on, that wouldn't rise to a situation where there would be willful child endangerment."
However, that does not imply Amaral is totally innocent, Clark noted. "From a civil standpoint, he has a lot of exposure. You have a duty to maintain a safe environment and a duty of care for people on your premises," he said.
Amaral 'immersed himself with work'
A long-time close friend claimed Amaral wouldn't agree with O'Connor permitting children to consume alcohol and would warn her not to text with teenagers. They would switch to new friends when the parties caused conflict with other parents.
The close friend noted that Amaral was preoccupied with his career and stated, "It's easier for him to immerse himself with work. It's easier for him to keep his head in the sand." There was no indication that Amaral was in the courtroom at his wife's initial hearing.
Who is Robert Amaral?
Amaral, 60, is a technology sector executive who claimed on his LinkedIn page that he played a "key role in driving four companies to IPO and also multiple acquisitions amounting to over $8 billion in shareholder value," according to Mercury News.
Amaral has worked for SlashNext, a cybersecurity business in Pleasanton, for more than a year, and his most recent role was as a chief revenue officer. He was removed from the company's online list of leaders after prosecutors revealed O'Connor's arrest, and information is scarce regarding his current status.
Amaral, who is alleged to have had enough, filed for divorce on Friday, January 12 to end their 14-year union, according to Mercury News. O'Connor was given the order to return to court on Tuesday, May 16.