Couple in California arrested over abuse of 20-plus children born via surrogates
In short
A Chinese couple living in Arcadia, California — Xuan Guojun, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38 — have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation, according to AP and LA Times reports cited by Korean outlets. Court records say the couple had 22 children, at least 20 of them born through surrogates, and that 15 of the children lived in a nine-bedroom house with six live-in nannies, monitored by 25 cameras. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called it an “unprecedented and horrific” case and said the motive and each child’s paternity are still under investigation.
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A Chinese couple living in Arcadia, California, has been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation, according to AP and Los Angeles Times reports cited by Yonhap, Maeil Business and Asia Economy. Court records identify the couple as Xuan Guojun, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
The court records cited in the reports say the couple had 22 children in total, of whom at least 20 were born through surrogates. The children range in age from 2 months to 13 years, with most aged 1 to 3 after the couple hired surrogates concurrently in recent years. Fifteen of the children lived in a nine-bedroom house in Arcadia, cared for by six live-in nannies. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Inside the house were three rooms described as “learning centers,” where the children had to sit at desks for hours, according to AP. The couple installed 25 cameras around the property and monitored them from their bedroom, the reports said. All the children had shaved heads, and the nannies physically punished them, including by striking their faces and ordering them to squat, footage of which police confirmed on CCTV, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
In May last year, one of the nannies caused brain haemorrhage in a 2-month-old child, the reports said. The couple was arrested once over that incident and released without charges, while the nanny fled to China before being arrested. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the case “unprecedented and horrific,” saying it could only be described as a “house of horror” for the children. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Hochman said the couple’s motive had not yet been clearly established because the investigation is ongoing, and that the paternity of each of the children is also being investigated, according to Asia Economy. [ 4 ]
Xuan is a real estate investor whose building holdings include a property used as an illegal casino and cannabis storage site, putting him under the authorities’ watch since 2021, the reports said. He told the Wall Street Journal in a past interview that China’s one-child policy was why he wanted many children in the United States. His lawyer, Mitchell Krems, said Xuan spent money on surrogacy to educate children into philosophers, doctors, researchers and inventors who would help society, saying that while some wealthy people spend on jewellery or cars, Xuan spent his on the children. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The case is being pursued by the Los Angeles County district attorney, who described it as unprecedented and said investigators have not yet established a motive, making the charges the start of a legal process rather than a conclusion. Documents also record that the couple was arrested once before, in May last year, and released without charges, and that the nanny accused in that incident fled to China — background that local outlets present as central to how the current case unfolded.
Key facts
- Xuan Guojun, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, who live in Arcadia, California, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Court records say the couple had 22 children in total, at least 20 of them born through surrogates, ranging in age from 2 months to 13 years, with most aged 1 to 3. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Fifteen of the children lived in a nine-bedroom Arcadia house cared for by six live-in nannies, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The couple installed 25 cameras around the house and monitored them from their bedroom, while children were required to sit at desks for hours in three rooms called “learning centers,” the reports said. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Nannies struck children in the face and imposed squatting punishments, footage of which police confirmed on CCTV, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- In May last year a nanny caused brain haemorrhage in a 2-month-old, after which the couple was arrested once and released without charges, while the nanny fled to China before being arrested. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the case “unprecedented and horrific” and said it was a “house of horror” for the children. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Xuan’s lawyer, Mitchell Krems, said Xuan spent money on surrogacy to educate children into philosophers, doctors, researchers and inventors who would help society. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Xuan Guojun, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, of Arcadia, California, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Court records cited in the reports say the couple had 22 children, at least 20 born through surrogates. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Fifteen children lived in a nine-bedroom Arcadia house with six live-in nannies, and the couple installed 25 cameras monitored from their bedroom. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the case as “unprecedented and horrific” and as a “house of horror” for the children. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- In May last year a nanny caused brain haemorrhage in a 2-month-old; the couple was arrested and released without charges, and the nanny fled to China before arrest. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Why the couple is alleged to have committed the acts Asia Economy quotes District Attorney Nathan Hochman saying the motive is not yet clearly established because the investigation is ongoing.
- The paternity of each child Asia Economy quotes Hochman saying the paternity of each of the children is still being investigated.
- How the couple responds to the charges beyond their lawyer’s statement The documents only carry the lawyer’s defence argument and do not say whether the couple has entered a plea or made further comment.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes its report, citing the LA Times and AP. [ 1 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its report on the arrests. [ 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes its report, carried in its World Pick section. [ 3 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report including the district attorney’s remarks that motive and paternity remain under investigation. [ 4 ]