A California couple was arrested on child abuse charges after an investigation into a surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 children ranging from a few months to 13 years old. Guojun Xuan, 66, and his wife, Silvia Zhang, 39, face multiple counts of child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said on Tuesday. The couple is scheduled to be arraigned at the Pasadena courthouse later that day.
Police say the children were kept in an opulent Arcadia home that the couple described as a “house of horrors.” Fifteen children were removed last year after an alleged abuse complaint, and another six living elsewhere were located. Surveillance footage shows the couple and nannies subjecting the children to daily beatings, with Xuan ordering a nanny to strike a child harder and later joining in. The nannies were instructed not to leave visible marks, and when police arrived in May 2025 the couple told the children to deny any abuse.
The investigation reveals that Xuan and Zhang operated a surrogacy agency from their home, hiring surrogates across the United States. They allegedly misled at least eight women, many first‑time surrogates, with incomplete or false information about the family’s situation and intentions. The agency was used to have children carried and delivered by surrogates while the couple kept the children in their care. One woman, Kayla Elliott, is now seeking custody of a baby she birthed for the couple.
Prosecutors are seeking $100 million bail due to the severity of the charges and the defendants’ flight risk. Xuan faces more than 17 years in prison if convicted. The case raises questions about the regulation of surrogacy, a practice largely governed by state law in California, which requires notarized contracts and legal counsel for both parties. The investigation continues to determine the couple’s motivation and the parentage of each child.
