An underage girl who was told by a notorious California party mom that it was her job to 'satisfy a man's needs' now avoids sex in her adult relationships, a court heard. The victim, identified only as Scarlett, dissolved with emotion Thursday as she told Shannon O'Connor's sentencing hearing how she is still traumatized by the drunken teen sex parties that the 32-year-old hosted at her Los Gatos mansion.
'As an adult I can't enjoy the sexual aspects of dating,' Scarlett said, according to KTVU. 'When someone touches me, I feel violated and then I feel guilty.' Scarlett, now a full-time college student, said she met O'Connor during a vulnerable time in her life and was encouraged by the predator to please men with sexual acts. Citing the abuse she suffered at O'Connor's parties, Scarlett shared how at just 14 years old she decided she never wanted to have sex again.
O'Connor was sentenced to 35 years and ten months behind bars on Thursday after she was convicted of 48 charges, including two felony sex charges, related to the parties. She claimed the gatherings, which earned her the nickname the Los Gatos 'Party Mom,' were an attempt to help her son through the Covid-19 pandemic. But the parties, attended by minors aged 13 to 15 years old, were fueled by booze and saw the sexual assault of several girls, prosecutors alleged.
Victims Testify to Lasting Trauma
Several of the teens who were victimized at her parties took the stand Thursday before the judge handed down O'Connor's sentence. One victim, identified as Jane Doe 12, told the court how the mother of two exploited her desire to be loved. She shared how at just 13 years old she would walk around in her underwear in front of boys because she craved affection and attention.
'Meeting you made a bad situation so much worse,' she said, speaking directly to O'Connor. 'I can't imagine what person I'd be if I hadn't met you.' She added: 'I love the idea of redemption but I want the absolute worst for you.'
Another anonymized victim, now 20, shared how as an adult she can look back on the situation and see that O'Connor 'targeted' her through harassment and other methods of making her feel unsafe. A male victim, referred to as Rylan Doe, told O'Connor that he would never forgive her for the permanent harm she has caused. He said he was 11 years old when he first met her and got drunk for the first time.
Mother's Outrage and O'Connor's Apology
O'Connor was also branded a 'monster' and pedophile by a mother whose teenage daughter was victimized at the parties, KRON reported. She claimed O'Connor 'preyed' on her daughter by 'supplying alcohol, enticing, and pushing sexual situations.' 'You chose to be nothing but demonic,' the outraged mother added.
As she received the maximum sentence of 35 years and 10 months behind bars, O'Connor was heard finally apologizing for her reckless actions. 'I've had the chance and the time to reflect on this case and what went wrong,' O'Connor, who has already served five years in jail, told the courtroom on Thursday. 'I'm not here to make excuses for my actions. I'm fully aware of how you all feel about me. Because of my actions... I have been absent from my own children, missing major milestones and time that I can never get back. I am ashamed.'
'I want you all to know that I live every day wishing I could take everything back, and go back in time, and change it all,' she said. Yet, the apology was followed by O'Connor adding that there was 'one thing that does not sit right in my soul.' 'I have never had any sexual inclinations for your children, or toward any minor. In fact, I am the victim of sexual abuse, I would never want to inflict that pain onto others,' she said through tears.
Prosecution Rejects Apology
O'Connor's tearful apology was met with little sympathy as the jury shook their heads at the mother, the Los Angeles Times reported. Deputy District Attorney Joanne Lee went as far to say, 'This isn't the Academy Awards. We just spent the last hour listening to a whole lot of garbage.' Lee described O'Connor's remarks as 'deeply offensive' and showing 'zero accountability.'
'She will re-offend. She lies at every single turn to protect her own agenda, to get whatever she wants. She had lied to this court over and over. This is a one-of-a-kind case. That's why we're asking for the maximum,' Lee continued. The trial saw testimony from 20 teens over the course of months. The 'party mom' was described as controlling, manipulative and someone who hyper-sexualized the teens at the parties.
Lee told Judge Peterson that O'Connor is a sexual predator who had groomed the children beginning in 2019. The prosecution said that the mother had communicated with the minors through Snapchat and pressured them to 'hook up' in her home. The parties had been kept secret from her husband, the victims' parents and police.
Defense Argues Against Maximum
Her defense attorney, Stephen Prekoski, argued against the maximum sentence, noting O'Connor's age would mean she would likely die in prison. 'I want everyone to know, for those of you who are urging the maximum sentence, that means Ms O'Connor [would] die in a cage. Life expectancy in CDCR for women is not that long. If she deserves a maximum sentence, let's call a spade a spade. What you are saying is you don't believe she has any potential for rehabilitation. I don't agree. I don't think that's reasonable,' he said.
The trial, which did not see O'Connor testify in her defense, consisted of 12 female victims and eight males. O'Connor was found guilty of 48 total charges, including sexual penetration of an intoxicated victim, influencing a child to engage in sexual activity with another child, providing alcohol to a minor, annoying or molesting a child and attempting to dissuade a witness from reporting a crime.
