California Couple Accused Of Abusing 14 Surrogate-Born Children As Surveillance Footage Emerges

In a California mansion watched by more than 30 surveillance cameras, the people responsible for caring for children allegedly became witnesses to — and prosecutors say, participants in — their abuse.

A 66-year-old man, Guojun Xuan, and a 39-year-old woman, Silvia Zhang, have been charged with conspiracy and child abuse involving at least 14 children born through surrogacy, some as young as two months old.

The allegations have turned a case involving an unusually large family into a criminal investigation into the treatment of vulnerable children inside a closely monitored home.

The couple, who lived in Arcadia, near Los Angeles, ran a surrogacy company and are the parents of more than 20 children, according to prosecutors and media reports. Investigators allege that Xuan and Zhang misled at least two women who became surrogates, telling them Zhang was struggling to conceive.

The children were cared for by live-in nannies and spent several hours a day in makeshift classrooms at the property. Prosecutors allege that 15 of the 16 children living in the home were subjected to repeated physical abuse.

Surveillance Footage Becomes Key Evidence

The investigation came to light after a two-month-old infant suffered a serious head injury in 2025, prompting authorities to examine what was happening inside the home.

According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage captured nannies spanking, slapping and hitting children over an 11-day period between April 27 and May 7, 2025. In one alleged incident, a nanny struck a child with a shoe.

Prosecutors say Zhang and another person laughed while watching the footage, while Xuan allegedly instructed a nanny to hit a child harder during a separate incident. The allegations are based on investigators’ findings and have not been established in court.

The cameras, installed to monitor the children and their caregivers, may have recorded conduct that investigators say went beyond discipline. The complaint alleges that one room lacked surveillance equipment and that some nannies took children there, where they could be heard screaming.

Authorities have also alleged witness intimidation as part of the case. The charges against the couple include conspiracy to commit child abuse; one nanny, Chunmei Lei, had previously been charged with felony child abuse.

Children Removed As Investigation Continues

Authorities removed 15 children from the home, while six others were subsequently located, according to the Associated Press. The investigation has raised questions about how the surrogacy arrangement operated and how the children’s care was supervised. Prosecutors have not established a motive, and the charges against the couple remain allegations.

Both Xuan and Zhang have pleaded not guilty, the AP reported. Their lawyers have challenged the accusations, with Xuan’s attorney disputing his involvement in the alleged abuse.

The case has put the spotlight on a surrogacy operation whose scale, prosecutors allege, concealed a pattern of harm behind the walls of a private residence. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the children’s parentage, care and treatment. For now, the legal proceedings will determine which of the allegations can be proved in court.