A California pair has been taken into custody on charges of child abuse as part of an investigation into a surrogacy plot involving 21 children aged from a few months to 13 years, as disclosed by authorities on Tuesday. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, are accused of multiple counts of child abuse, as well as conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Hochman characterized the case as unprecedented and appalling during a press briefing on Tuesday morning, condemning the physical abuse, beatings, and punishment inflicted on the very young children. Prosecutors are requesting a $100-million US bail for the couple due to the severity of the charges and the perceived flight risk. The arraignment was scheduled to take place at the Pasadena, Calif., courthouse later on Tuesday.
Fifteen children were removed from the couple’s lavish residence in Arcadia, Calif., last year following an abuse claim, with an additional six children residing elsewhere also located. The children’s ages ranged from two months to 13 years, with most falling between one and three. Zhang is believed to have given birth to one or two children, while the remaining children were carried and delivered by surrogates.
The couple allegedly established a surrogacy agency from their residence, employing surrogates across the U.S. to facilitate their scheme. Hochman described the couple’s home as a nightmarish environment for the young children. The duo was initially apprehended in May 2025 after a hospital reported a severe head injury to their two-month-old infant, resulting from a nanny violently shaking the baby.
Hochman revealed that the couple organized three rooms labeled as learning centers, where nannies supervised the children for several hours daily. Using an extensive surveillance system, including motion-activated cameras, the couple purportedly witnessed the nannies physically abusing the children, including daily beatings. Hochman mentioned instances where Xuan instructed a nanny to strike a child harder and even participated in hitting the child.
The nannies were allegedly instructed not to leave any visible marks on the children, and the couple advised the children to deny being beaten when police arrived for investigation in May 2025. Following a review of the surveillance footage, an arrest warrant was issued for Chunmei Li, the nanny seen harming the two-month-old infant, but she could not be located.
Hochman emphasized that the defendants would face consequences, with potential lengthy prison sentences if found guilty. The motivation behind the couple’s actions and the parentage of each child remain subject to ongoing investigation. Xuan’s attorney, Mitchell Krems, previously highlighted his client’s intention to raise children who could positively contribute to society.
Surrogacy, where a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child for another party, is regulated at the state level in the absence of comprehensive federal legislation in the U.S. California is recognized as a surrogacy-friendly state due to its well-defined laws governing the process. Investigators are examining whether the couple misled surrogates across the country, with eight women alleging aggressive pursuit by the couple to serve as surrogates.
Several women stated they were provided inaccurate or incomplete information about the couple’s family circumstances and intentions. One surrogate, Kayla Elliott, is currently seeking custody of a baby she delivered for the couple.
