Shannon O'Connor: California mom threw rave parties for teens, watched them have sex
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: California mom Shannon O'Connor has been charged with 39 criminal counts for allegedly hosting alcohol-fuelled rave parties for minors. A criminal complaint filed with the Santa Clara County Superior Court indicates the parties also featured sex, often non-consensual, which O'Connor watched. She has been arrested in Idaho, where she now lives, and will be extradited soon to California according to reports.
Over the past year, we have reported on a large number of cases of minors being forced to have sex. In early October, a Florida teacher was arrested for having sex with a former student in her car. Days later, another Florida teacher was arrested for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. In August, SNL alum Horatio Sanz was accused of "grooming" a teen fan, who was allowed to drunk despite being underage.
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The extensive criminal complaint provides a very in-depth look at O'Connor's rave parties, and the many felonies she allegedly committed. The complaint says the parties were held between June 2020 and May 2021, while she lived in Los Gatos, California. Here's everything we know about her, and her illegal raves.
O'Connor 'watched and laughed' battery of girl
In all, O'Connor has been slapped with 39 counts by Santa Clara County officials. The counts' record dates in September, October, and December 2020, as well as up to May 2021. On December 31, she is accused of touching a girl's breast, and buttocks "against her will, and for the specific purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, and sexual abuse." The same night, she was also accused of molesting a 14-year-old. Apart from this, O'Connor also allegedly watched and laughed as "a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed" during that party.
In a press release, the Santa Clara DA's Office added that O'Connor "bought vodka and Fireball whiskey, provided condoms, and discouraged the teens from telling their parents about the parties or calling for help." On one occasion, she also provided a condom to an underage teen, and "pushed him into a room with an intoxicated minor." The Statement of Facts document also alleges that O'Connor would pressure the minors into having sex, even if they were too intoxicated to consent. She reportedly would tell girls to go into certain rooms at her house where boys were waiting, and "take them aside for a private conversation" if they refused.
It is believed O'Connor coordinated the raves via Snapchat, where she would text the teens to leave their homes in the middle of the night, and pick them up down the road from their homes. The children are believed to be friends of her two teenage sons.
History of criminal behavior
O'Connor, who also goes by the name of Shannon Bruga, reportedly has a history of reckless and even criminal behavior. The Santa Clara DA's Office noted that she once let a minor drive her SUV in the Los Gatos High School parking lot, while two teens held on at the back. It's unclear when that incident happened, but it reportedly led to one teen falling off and being knocked unconscious.
In another case, O'Connor faces felony fraud charges, after she allegedly made more than $120,000 in unauthorized charges on a company card she held when working for Aruba Networks. Records show she was arrested on October 10 in Ada County, Idaho, and is currently waiting to be extradited. As of October 12, she has not been arraigned or entered a plea. It is unclear when she will be brought before a judge in California. It is also not known when O'Connor moved to Idaho, and what happened to her family. So far, it doesn't appear as if she has hired an attorney to represent her.