California Couple Charged with Abusing at Least 14 Surrogate-Born Children

A California couple has been charged with multiple counts of child abuse involving at least 14 surrogate-born children, some as young as two months old, alongside charges of dissuading a witness. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested at their mansion in Arcadia, California, and subsequently pleaded not guilty in a Pasadena courthouse. Prosecutors allege the pair conspired to subject 15 of 16 children residing in their home to sustained physical abuse, following the removal of 21 children from their custody last year.

"The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented," stated Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, who characterized the residence as a "house of horrors." Authorities revealed the property was equipped with 32 motion-activated cameras used by the couple to oversee physical discipline administered by multiple nannies across three designated "learning centres." Footage reportedly captured nannies spanking, slapping, and striking children. One nanny, Chunmei Li, 58, faces felony abuse charges for allegedly striking a two-month-old infant who later required hospitalization for head trauma, prompting the initial investigation; Li is currently a fugitive subject to a $105,000 arrest warrant.

The couple, who operated their own surrogacy agency, allegedly misled surrogate mothers across the United States by claiming Zhang was unable to conceive. Surrogate mothers reportedly had no knowledge that multiple women were carrying embryos for the couple concurrently. Defense attorney Mitchell Krems rejected the charges as a "mischaracterisation," asserting Xuan's innocence and claiming his client was "being targeted for exercising his constitutional right to have a large family."

In July 2025, law enforcement executed an initial raid on the estate, placing 21 children ranging from two months to 13 years of age into state custody, with the majority aged between one and three. If convicted on all counts, Xuan faces a maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in state prison, while Zhang faces up to 11 years and eight months. Legal representatives for the surrogates praised the prosecution, noting it establishes accountability against the exploitation of the surrogacy system.