A California couple accused of abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children, some as young as two months old, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in connection with the alleged abuse. Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested at their mansion in Arcadia, California, and appeared in a Pasadena court, where they denied the allegations, according to NBC New s .
The children were allegedly made to sit at desks for long periods while being supervised by nannies. Prosecutors allege the cameras were used by Xuan and Zhang to monitor the children and the way nannies disciplined them. Prosecutors also allege that Xuan himself physically abused a child and, in one incident, instructed a nanny to hit a child harder.
Because of the unusually large size of his family, their lawyer, Mitchell Krems, has denied the allegations and said Xuan was being unfairly targeted. Authorities also found 32 motion-activated cameras around the house. The children were removed from the couple’s custody after authorities raided the home in July 2025. They ranged in age from two months to 13 years, with most between one and three years old. All 21 children are now in state custody. If convicted, Xuan faces a possible maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in state prison, while Zhang could face up to 11 years and eight months. Li faces up to 12 years. A judge has set bail at $20 million each for Xuan and Zhang, along with home detention and restrictions on contact with the children.
When police investigated the case, they discovered three rooms in the mansion that the couple referred to as “learning centres”. Surveillance footage showed nannies spanking, slapping and hitting the children, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. He also said Xuan fired the nanny accused of abusing the two-month-old child after learning about the incident.
