A California surrogacy couple has been charged with repeatedly abusing at least 14 of the children they produced through surrogate mothers, prosecutors say.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested at their Arcadia mansion on Tuesday and later pleaded not guilty in a Pasadena courthouse. They are accused of conspiring to discipline 15 of the 16 children living in the house, many as young as two months old.
According to a criminal complaint, the couple ran their own surrogacy company, misled at least two women about Zhang’s fertility, and maintained a spreadsheet tracking 21 children, including those born to surrogate mothers.
Investigators claim the investigation began when Zhang brought a two‑month‑old boy to a hospital with a head injury, which they say was caused by a nanny. The hospital staff called law enforcement, who then found three rooms called “learning centres” staffed by several nannies under surveillance from 32 motion‑activated cameras.
Footage allegedly shows the nannies spanking, slapping or hitting the children. One nanny, Chunmei Li, 58, is accused of striking the baby who later suffered the head injury. Li was fired quickly and now faces a $105,000 warrant with a potential 12‑year sentence.
In July 2025 the first raid on the house seized 21 children. Most ranged in age from two months to 13 years, with the majority between 1 and 3 years old. Fifteen children were taken from the residence while six others, who were living elsewhere, were later brought into state custody.
The couple’s lawyer, Mitchell Krems, says Xuan is innocent and that the charges "are an overreach against someone exercising his constitutional right to have a large family." He has called the accusations a mischaracterisation.
Surrogates and their attorneys have demanded accountability, arguing that the couple abused the surrogacy system and the children’s welfare. If convicted, Xuan faces a maximum of 17 years and four months, Zhang up to 11 years and eight months, and Li up to 12 years.
