A California couple has been charged with multiple counts of child abuse involving at least 14 surrogate-born children, some of whom were only two months old, in what Los Angeles County's top prosecutor has called an unprecedented case.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were taken into custody at their Arcadia mansion on Tuesday, according to authorities. The pair, described by US media as a couple, appeared at a Pasadena courthouse where they entered not guilty pleas, the BBC's US partner CBS News reported.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J Hochman did not mince words when announcing the charges. "The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented," he said in a statement, describing the couple's residence as a "house of horrors."
Prosecutors allege that Xuan and Zhang conspired to subject 15 of the 16 children living in their home to repeated physical abuse. The charges follow an investigation that began in May 2025 and culminated in July 2025 with a raid on the couple's property, during which authorities removed 21 children from state custody.
According to the criminal complaint, the couple operated their own surrogacy company and are accused of making false statements to at least two women who served as surrogates. Specifically, investigators say the couple indicated that Zhang was struggling to conceive, allegedly concealing the true scope of their surrogacy operation.
As of May 2025, Zhang maintained a spreadsheet that tracked 21 children, including those born to surrogates, according to officials. Investigators believe the surrogate mothers came from around the country and were unaware they were carrying embryos for the same couple simultaneously.
The investigation was triggered that same month when Zhang brought a two-month-old boy to a hospital with a head injury. She reportedly told medical staff that the baby had fallen from a bed. Hospital staff, suspecting abuse, informed law enforcement.
When police arrived at the couple's Arcadia home, they discovered three different rooms designated as "learning centres," each under the supervision of multiple nannies. Hochman described the scene as a "house of horrors." The mansion was allegedly equipped with 32 motion-activated cameras, which prosecutors say the couple used to monitor the discipline administered by the nannies.
Footage allegedly shows the nannies spanking, slapping, or hitting the children. One nanny, 58-year-old Chunmei Li, is accused of hitting the two-month-old baby who suffered the head injury two days before being brought to the hospital. Li was previously charged with one felony count of child abuse under conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death.
Hochman said Li is currently on the run, with a $105,000 warrant issued for her arrest. The couple's lawyer, Mitchell Krems, told CBS News in Los Angeles that Li was quickly fired once the allegations came to light.
Regarding the broader allegations against his clients, Krems said the claim was a "mischaracterisation" based on the evidence he has reviewed. He also defended Xuan, stating: "He is being targeted for exercising his constitutional right to have a large family."
The case has drawn attention to the largely unregulated world of commercial surrogacy in the United States. While some states have laws governing surrogacy arrangements, enforcement varies widely, and cases involving multiple simultaneous surrogacies across state lines often fall through regulatory gaps.
Melissa Brisman, an attorney representing two of the surrogates, welcomed the charges. "This is wonderful news that people will be held responsible for their actions and there will be consequences if you abuse the surrogacy system," she told CBS News.
When authorities first raided the couple's home in July 2025, the Arcadia Police Department reported that the children ranged in age from two months to 13 years old, though most were between one and three years old. Fifteen of the children were removed from the couple's residence, while six others who were living elsewhere were also later taken into state custody.
The legal consequences for the accused, if convicted, are substantial. Xuan faces a possible maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in state prison. Zhang faces up to 11 years and eight months. Li, the nanny who remains at large, faces up to 12 years.
The case raises troubling questions about the oversight of surrogacy arrangements and the welfare of children born through such agreements. Legal experts note that while surrogacy is legal in California, the lack of centralized tracking for intended parents who enter into multiple simultaneous arrangements creates opportunities for exploitation.
For the surrogates involved, many of whom reportedly believed they were carrying embryos for a couple struggling with infertility, the revelations have been deeply unsettling. The women were reportedly unaware that other surrogates across the country were carrying children for the same couple at the same time.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have indicated that additional charges could follow as they continue to review evidence gathered from the couple's home, including the extensive surveillance footage. The children remain in state custody as the legal process unfolds.
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