A couple from California has been taken into custody on child abuse allegations following an inquiry into a surrogacy operation involving around 21 children aged from a few months to 13 years, as stated by authorities on Tuesday. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, are charged with multiple counts of child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact, and dissuading a witness, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. Hochman described the case as unprecedented and appalling, highlighting the physical abuse and punishment inflicted on the young children.
The couple is facing a request for $100 million US bail due to the severity of the charges and the perceived flight risk. They were set to appear in court in Pasadena, California, later the same day. Last year, fifteen children were removed from the couple’s lavish residence in Arcadia, California, after an abuse report, and another six children located elsewhere were identified. The children, aged between two months and 13 years, with most falling between one and three, were either born to Zhang or delivered by surrogates through the couple’s surrogacy agency operating from their home.
Hochman mentioned that the couple had designated three rooms as learning centers, where nannies oversaw the children spending hours seated at desks. Through an elaborate surveillance setup with motion-activated cameras, the couple monitored the nannies subjecting the children to physical abuse, including daily beatings. In one video, Xuan can be seen instructing a nanny to strike a child harder and joining in hitting the child in another instance, as per Hochman.
The defendants, if convicted, face significant prison sentences, with one potentially receiving over 17 years behind bars. The motive behind the couple’s actions and the parentage of each child are under investigation. The couple’s lawyer, Mitchell Krems, previously expressed that Xuan’s intention was to raise children who would make positive contributions to society. California is recognized as a surrogacy-friendly state due to its clear laws governing the surrogacy process, requiring legal representation for both parties and a notarized contract before embryo transfer.
Authorities are exploring whether the couple misled surrogates across the country, with at least eight women reporting being aggressively pursued to serve as surrogates. These women claim they were provided misleading or incomplete information about the couple’s family circumstances and intentions. One surrogate, Kayla Elliott, is currently seeking custody of a baby she delivered for the couple.