California couple arrested on abuse charges involving at least 14 children
'The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented,' Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
A California couple with 21 children has been arrested and charged with the alleged abuse of at least 14 surrogate-born children, including a newborn as young as two months old. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges against Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39. The couple, who face multiple counts of child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness, were arrested at their mansion in Arcadia, California.
Prosecutors allege that the children were subjected to daily beatings and physical punishment by nannies while the couple watched over them through surveillance cameras and laughed at the footage. The abuse allegedly began on April 27, 2025, and continued until May 7, 2025. The couple is accused of running a surrogacy company and using false statements to recruit surrogates, including one who was struggling to conceive.
The abuse was discovered when police responded to a report about a two-month-old boy with injuries. The couple has over 200 personal and 70 corporate bank accounts, with annual transfers totaling $250 million. They have been granted bail of $20 million each with home detention and a protective order against visiting their children.
If convicted, Xuan faces a maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in prison, Zhang up to 11 years and eight months, and Li up to 12 years in prison.
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