California pair charged with abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children

Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a couple residing in Arcadia, California, have been charged with multiple counts of abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children and dissuading a witness. The arrests occurred at their mansion after 21 children were removed from their custody last year. The pair, who allegedly ran their own surrogacy company, are accused of conspiring to subject 15 of the 16 children in their home to repeated physical abuse. The investigation began in May 2025 when a two-month-old boy was brought to the hospital with a head injury. Xuan, 66, and Zhang, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Los Angeles County prosecutors are seeking $100 million bail each for Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, a Chinese-born couple. They are charged with conspiring to abuse young children born through surrogacy and raised in their California mansion. The couple allegedly instructed nannies to physically punish the children, observed these punishments via a surveillance system, and coached the children to deny the abuse when police arrived. The charges stem from a felony complaint filed on Tuesday. The article indicates at least 14 children were involved.

A California couple, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, have been arrested on conspiracy to commit child abuse charges. The investigation into a surrogacy scheme revealed at least 21 children associated with the couple. Fifteen children, aged two months to 13 years, were removed from their Arcadia home last year following an abuse allegation, with six others located elsewhere. The couple reportedly told police they desired a large family and presented birth certificates listing Zhang as the mother. The investigation began after a hospital reported a two-month-old infant suffered a traumatic head injury from being shaken by a nanny. While California has clear laws for surrogacy, the practice is not federally regulated.