Live updates: Los Gatos 'Party Mom' sentenced to more than 30 years

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A Los Gatos mother convicted of holding alcohol-fueled sex parties for teens was sentenced in Santa Clara County Superior Court to over 30 years.

The sentencing took three days as victims of Shannon O’Connor gave statements before the court.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Peterson handed down the final punishment.

The 51-year-old O'Connor faced more than 30 years in prison after jurors in March convicted her on 48 felony charges, along with other misdemeanors encompassing child endangerment and furnishing alcohol to minors. 

O’Connor has been in Santa Clara County jail custody since October 2021, after she was arrested near Boise, Idaho.

Follow along with our live blog: 

May 28, 2026

2:38 p.m.

O'Connor was sentenced to 35 years, but will serve 31 years, taking into account 1,000 days of time served on the misdemeanor counts.

2:16 p.m. 

O'Connor was sentenced to 29 years and four months on the felony charges and then six years on the misdemeanor charges. In total, she was sentenced to 35 years. 

2:06 p.m.

O'Connor receives sentence.

11:30 a.m.

O'Connor's sentencing is expected for Thursday afternoon.

10:30 a.m.

Shannon O' Connor shared a statement with the court Thursday morning, ahead of her sentencing.  

She said, in part:

"I wanted to take time to address the court and all of the families involved, including mine.

For the past five years, I’ve had the chance and time to reflect on what went wrong. I’m not here to make excuses for my actions. I’m fully aware of how you all feel about me and how you view me. 

I know you all entrusted me and I let you all down. Because of my actions or lack there of, I have been absent for my own children, missing major milestones and time I can’t get back. They as well as your sons and daughters have suffered

They have lived these past five years parentless, living in the shadows of shame, harassment, humiliation and physical attacks.

This case has also ruined my husband's reputation, career and marriage and had to uproot my mom to care for my boys.

My actions are the cause of your pain, and I’m ashamed, and I face everyday knowing I was the cause of so many people’s anguish. 

I want you to know I live every day wishing I could take everything back and go back in time and take it all back.

I am responsible for the harmful siting that I put your daughters and sons through. There really no words to express how sorry I am, but not for me, for all of you.

I hope you can find comfort knowing I have been punished and will for years to come .

There is one thing that doesn’t sit right in my soul. I’ve never had sexual inclination toward your children or minors. I’m the victim of sexual abuse and I wouldn’t want to inflict that pain.

I helped raise two stepdaughters and a son and nothing of a sexual nature came up. No sexual allegations came up until my son hit puberty and began his own relationships."

May 27, 2026

Sentencing continued until Thursday, when there will be three more impact statements and attorney statements.

O'Connor is also expected to testify.

1:40 p.m. 

D.A.'s office issues a release saying "Los Gatos Party Mom" sentence is to be announced on Thursday. D.A. Rosen to hold a news conference at 9 a.m. after the sentence is read. The news conference will be held on the front steps of the Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory, next to the Hall of Justice. 

Sentencing continued until Thursday, when there will be three more impact statements and attorney statements.

10:30 a.m.

Jane Doe 5 said that she is now 20 years old and when she looks back on when she was 14, she realizes now how O'Connor "targeted" her, by harassing her and making her feel unsafe.

Rylan Doe told O'Connor that he would never forgive her: He was 11 years old in 6th grade when he met her. He said O'Connor got him drunk for the first time. He said that what she did to him changed him permanently.

9:50 a.m.

Jane Doe 12 told the court that when she was 13, she would walk around in her underwear in front of boys in order to be loved. All she wanted was attention, and she was infatuated with O'Connor. 

"Meeting you made a bad situation so much worse," she said. "I can’t imagine what person I’d be if I hadn’t met you. Life isn’t fair because of people like you. I love the idea of redemption but I want the absolute worse for you."

Scarlet, a full-time university student, said she met O'Connor at a vulnerable time in her life.  O'Connor told her it was her job to satisfy a man’s needs. And by the age of 14, she didn't want to have sex anymore.

"As an adult I can’t enjoy the sexual aspects of dating," Scarlett said. "When someone touches me, I feel violated and then I feel guilty."

Sherry, a mother of one of the teen victims, said that she initially welcomed O'Connor into her life, thinking she was a safe presence. But she said she put her daughter in danger, especially when she made it clear that she didn't want her to drink alcohol.

"She knew my boundaries and she betrayed them," Sherry said. "You had no right to be lienent with other people’s kids. Your actions were sick and criminal."

Elise Doe, a mother of one of the victims, said that O'Connor's "twisted actions altered the person my daughter was destined to become."

Live updates — May 26, 2026

4:25 p.m.

The family of John Doe 5, is on the stand and said that O'Connor was a family friend, adding that their son was best friends with the woman's son. 

"She blatantly lied to us and made us think she'd keep our son safe," the family said, adding that O'Conner groomed their son through social media and taught him how to dispose of empty alcohol cans.

The family recounted a Halloween party at O'Connor's home in which their son had asked to go early and help set up. They said he texted asking to stay over, but he was too drunk to text.

"We picked him up early, shivering no shoes no shirt.." the family said. "While kids were getting drunk she was across town at another halloween party… Shannon left our 14-year-old child with alcohol and an open pool and hot tub.

Valerie Doe, the mother of John Doe 1 and 2 gets on the stand and testifies that O'Connor robbed her sons of their childhood.

"Without significant incarceration, she remains a direct threat to the community. By grooming my children, she weaponized them.. They now suffer from deep-seeded guilt and trust issues," the woman said.

She described an incident in which she found her sons barely conscious and vomiting.

4:14 p.m.

Kate Doe, the mother of Jane Doe 4, takes the stand and begins crying, saying her daughter's testimony was difficult to hear. 

Kate Doe said she is the one who made the initial police report in 2021 to report O'Connor and what was happening at her home. 

"Had to keep our daughter safe in Tahoe and Sea Ranch to keep her out of Shannon's control. She was a threat to our family at that time. Shannon had been trying to collect our daughter — send her an airplane ticket," the woman said. 

Kate Doe said her daughter developed a substance abuse problem and was drinking alcohol at night to sleep. She said it was O'Connor who exposed her daughter to heavy alcohol consumption.

"She was taking weekly drink orders for these kids. She encouraged and managed sex acts. Our daughter was only 14 years old. She was quiet innocent. Before encounter with Shannon, she was sweet, silly and full of joy," said Kate Doe.

3:49 p.m.

"Jane Doe 4," who is now 20 years old, is the first victim to give their impact statement, saying that O'Connor took advantage of her and other young people.

"It is beyond me. I can not comprehend how someone could do ths. This represents who you are at your core," the young woman said. "For me what happened took away som manny happy parts of who I was."

3:14 p.m. 

Attorneys are in the judge's chambers.

12:30 p.m.

The court proceedings are expected to begin Tuesday afternoon, with the actual sentence likely to be read Thursday. 

Los GatosCrime and Public Safety