In brief
A California couple, Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, have been charged with multiple counts of child abuse after a nerve‑wrenching investigation revealed that they allegedly inflicted physical harm on 14 surrogate‑born children while running their own surrogacy firm. The authorities say family members and hired nannies used a network of 32 motion‑activated cameras to monitor and discipline the children in their home, with footage allegedly showing repeated spanking, slapping and hitting. In February 2025, 21 children were removed from the couple’s care and placed in state custody, and the couple now faces potential prison sentences of up to 17 years for Xuan and over 11 years for Zhang. The case has ignited a heated discussion about regulation of surrogacy and the protection of children born through assisted reproductive technologies.
A California couple has been charged with multiple counts of abuse against at least 14 surrogate‑born children, some as young as two months old, and on a separate count for obstructing justice.
The charges were brought after investigators discovered a “house of horrors” in the Arcadia mansion owned by 66‑year‑old Guojun Xuan and his 39‑year‑old partner, Silvia Zhang.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the alleged abuse was unprecedented, citing footage from 32 cameras that allegedly showed hired nannies repeatedly spanking, slapping or otherwise striking the children under the couple’s supervision.
The couple, who ran a surrogacy business, allegedly misled several women about their fertility and used surrogate mothers to carry numerous embryos at the same time. A spreadsheet maintained by Zhang tracked 21 children, though 15 were forcibly removed from the property in a July 2025 raid.
Zhang and Xuan pleaded not guilty in a Pasadena courthouse the day after their arrest and claim that the accusations are a mischaracterisation of facts. Their lawyer, Mitchell Krems, stated that Xuan is innocent and is being prosecuted for exercising his constitutional right to have a large family.
If convicted, Xuan faces up to 17 years and four months in state prison, Zhang up to 11 years and eight months, and one of the nannies, Chunmei Li, faces a maximum of 12 years.
