A jury in Santa Clara County convicted Shannon O'Connor, 51, on 48 criminal charges tied to hosting parties for underage teens that involved heavy drinking and sexual activity, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said O’Connor, sometimes known as Shannon Bruga, organized gatherings at her home in Los Gatos where mostly 14- and 15-year-olds were supplied with alcohol and encouraged to engage in sexual conduct. Among the most serious convictions were two felony counts of sexual penetration.

Authorities said O’Connor purchased vodka and whiskey for the teens and even provided condoms during the parties. Prosecutors argued that some victims were so intoxicated they were incapable of legally consenting to sexual activity.

Jeff Rosen said the defendant failed to protect minors and instead facilitated harmful behavior. “This defendant not only didn’t protect these children, but she endangered their safety, coordinated their sexual assaults, and she tried to get them not to tell,” Rosen said.

Investigators said O’Connor warned teens not to tell parents or police about the gatherings, reportedly telling them she could go to jail if the parties were revealed. In one instance cited by prosecutors, she allegedly handed a condom to an underage boy and directed him toward a room where an intoxicated teenage girl was lying in bed.

Authorities also said O’Connor sometimes contacted teens through Snapchat or text messages, encouraging them to leave their homes late at night and come to her house to drink. Court records indicate that the parties often resulted in teens vomiting, passing out, or becoming unable to stand due to intoxication.

One incident involved a minor driving O’Connor’s SUV in a high school parking lot while other teens held onto the vehicle, causing one to fall off and lose consciousness.

The gatherings allegedly took place at O’Connor’s $4.7 million home, where prosecutors said she hosted a series of “drunken and destructive” house parties between 2020 and 2021.

O’Connor could face more than 30 years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 26 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Authorities credited the victims who came forward with stopping the behavior and bringing the case to trial. Prosecutors said their testimony helped expose the pattern of abuse that had been occurring at the parties.