LOS GATOS, CA — A teenage girl testified Tuesday at the trial for the Los Gatos “Party Mom” saying she was manipulated by the 50-year-old and felt she couldn’t escape, according to a report by KRON4.

Shannon O’Connor, known as the “Party Mom,” is on trial for allegedly hosting an underage party in October 2020 at a rented Santa Cruz beach house, resulting in approximately $9,000 in damages. She is also accused of pressuring high school students into sexual activities, according to prosecutors.

O’Connor has entered a not-guilty plea to the 63 charges she faces, which include furnishing alcohol to minors and child molestation.

Testifying for several hours on Tuesday, a girl identified as”Jane Doe 7″ recounted her relationship with O’Connor’s son when they were both 14. She described being underage and binge drinking with the group at O’Connor’s house, where the mother exerted control over them, according to KRON4.

“There was no escape,” Jane Doe 7 testified.

Jane Doe 7 said O’Connor was harder to escape than her son, restricted her social life during the COVID school closure, and knew her every move. Feeling lonely, Jane Doe 7 often accepted O’Connor’s encouragement to sneak out with other teens for late-night drives, KRON4 reported.

Jane Doe 7 testified that O’Connor drove her large black SUV with teens drinking alcohol from a duffle bag hidden in the car. During one drive, Jane Doe 7 was pressured to drive through Los Gatos High School’s parking lot while two drunk boys hung off the back, according to KRON4.

One boy fell off, was knocked unconscious, and bled from his head. Instead of seeking medical attention, O’Connor pulled the injured boy into the SUV and drove to a 7-Eleven for ice, the girl testified. When police questioned her, O’Connor lied, pretending to be his mother and saying he was carsick. She then dropped the boy off at his house, KRON4 reported.

Another night, O’Connor’s SUV was boxed in by two police patrol cars while teens were drinking inside. Jane Doe 7 panicked, seeing empty cans everywhere. O’Connor told the girl to hide the scattered empty cans and a duffle bag with 30 full beers in the trunk. Jane Doe 7 described O’Connor as “horrifically calm.” Officers questioned O’Connor, missed the alcohol, and left, according to KRON4.

Prosecutors accuse 50-year-old O’Connor of coercing intoxicated Los Gatos High School students into sexual activities at private parties for her gratification, arguing these events were criminal. Evidence includes court videos of intoxicated students vomiting and smashing cans, surveillance of numerous liquor deliveries, and the homeowner’s report of a trashed house, according to court documents.

“She’s been held without bail since the moment she was arrested. That is typically reserved for our most serious offenders,” said Stephen Prekoski, O’Connor’s defense attorney, in a statement. “She’s clearly not a murderer. She is, in fact, I think very unlikely to be a repeat offender.”

O’Connor, a Los Gatos resident, hosted notorious parties with large amounts of hidden alcohol for her freshman son and his friends, often acting as the sole adult when her husband was away, court documents stated. Witnesses said she chose specific girls for secrecy. A teen testified that O’Connor was the only adult at several secret events where over 30 unsupervised teens binge drank and passed out, describing her as acting like a “popular girl.”

O’Connor gave an interview to the Mercury News midtrial and implied that other parents were similarly allowing their teenagers to drink during the pandemic and claimed she was not fully aware of how much the teens were consuming.

Patch was unable to reach O’Connor for comment.

Jury deliberations are slated to begin in March.

Read the full story at KRON4.