Insets, from left: Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang of the Arcadia Police Department. In the background is the California residence where prosecutors allege the couple operated a surrogacy compound and abused children (KTLA/YouTube).
A Los Angeles County couple allegedly transformed their Arcadia mansion into what prosecutors described as a “horrific” surrogacy compound, where at least 14 children born through surrogacy—including infants as young as 2 months old—were repeatedly beaten and mistreated by caretakers.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were each charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit child abuse. Xuan additionally faces felony charges for child abuse and being an accessory after the fact, along with five felony counts of attempting to dissuade a witness.
According to a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office news release, the couple hired several “nannies” to oversee and discipline the children living at their Arcadia mansion. One of those caretakers, a woman accused of abuse under circumstances that could have caused great bodily injury or death, has already been charged.
Authorities say 21 children lived in the home. Fifteen allegedly endured repeated physical abuse, including 14 children born to surrogates. Xuan and Zhang were investigated and arrested last year, but prosecutors did not file charges at that time, and the pair was released.
“The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement released Tuesday.
The investigation reportedly began after police were called about a 2-month-old boy who had suffered a head injury. Prosecutors now allege that Xuan and Zhang maintained a home where children were systematically struck and punished whenever they failed to follow instructions.
The criminal complaint also accuses the couple of running a surrogacy business and misleading at least two women who agreed to serve as surrogates. One woman was allegedly told that Zhang was a single mother having difficulty conceiving.
Caretakers responsible for the children allegedly spent much of each day inside makeshift classroom areas set up throughout the Arcadia property, according to prosecutors.
The complaint alleges that Xuan and Zhang converted three rooms into “learning centers,” where young children sat at desks for hours while supervised by nannies. Investigators also found an approximately 32-camera system that captured audio and video throughout the residence, including footage of the children and their caretakers.
Prosecutors say recordings made during an 11-day period, from April 27 through May 7, 2025, showed nannies spanking, slapping and striking children. In one alleged incident, a nanny hit a child with a shoe while Zhang and another caretaker laughed as they watched the footage.
On April 30, 2025, Xuan allegedly entered one of the learning centers and instructed a nanny to hit a child harder. The complaint says he then repeatedly spanked the child, struck the child’s head with an open hand and lifted the child by one arm while continuing the attack.
The surveillance system did not cover every area of the house, the District Attorney’s Office said. One room had no camera, and prosecutors allege that nannies were observed taking children inside.
According to the complaint, children could be heard screaming from that room.
The infant whose head was injured was allegedly struck by a nanny on May 4, 2025. Prosecutors say Xuan and Zhang waited two days before getting medical attention and told healthcare workers that the baby had fallen from a bed.
The couple is also accused of instructing the children not to speak with police and concealing the sticks allegedly used in the abuse.
“Zhang instructed the children … to deny that they had been beaten,” the complaint states.
Chunmei Li, the nanny already facing charges, remains wanted on a $105,000 arrest warrant, according to prosecutors. Xuan and Zhang were expected to be arraigned Tuesday at the Pasadena Courthouse.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, state authorities removed all 21 children from the residence. Prosecutors say the couple recruited surrogate mothers through Facebook.
A conviction could send Xuan to state prison for as long as 17 years and four months, while Zhang faces a potential sentence of up to 11 years and eight months. Li could receive up to 12 years if convicted.
