Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Oct 7: A Southern California couple who had 21 children, most of them born through different surrogate mothers, have been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged child abuse and witness intimidation case, authorities said.

Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan were arrested on Tuesday after authorities searched their mansion in Arcadia as part of an investigation that began last year. They have been charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation.

Xuan faces additional charges of felony child abuse, accessory after the fact and five counts of dissuading a witness. Zhang has also been charged with accessory after the fact and four counts of dissuading a witness.

The couple pleaded not guilty in court and denied the allegations. Their attorney, Mitchell Krems, said Xuan did not abuse the children and was being unfairly scrutinised because of his Chinese background and the unusually large size of his family.

The investigation began after a two-month-old child was taken to hospital with head injuries in May 2025. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman alleged that a nanny had struck the baby, while the couple allegedly delayed seeking medical attention. The child later recovered.

Authorities subsequently discovered that the couple had been arranging surrogacies across the United States and allegedly misled some surrogate mothers about their circumstances and the number of children they already had.

According to prosecutors, one surrogate was allegedly told that Zhang was a single woman struggling to conceive, while another was not informed that the couple already had 16 children. Payments to surrogates reportedly ranged from $75,000 to $135,000.

Prosecutors also alleged that the children were subjected to frequent physical punishment inside the family home. The residence reportedly had 32 motion-activated cameras, which authorities said were used to monitor the children and nannies.

Hochman alleged that some children were forced to remain in painful positions for punishment and that Xuan was captured on video instructing a nanny to hit a child harder. Prosecutors also alleged that Xuan personally struck a child.

Authorities said the children were taken into a room without cameras where they could reportedly be heard screaming. The couple is also accused of instructing children and nannies to conceal signs of alleged abuse.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G Luna described the alleged treatment of the children as horrific. All 21 children have been placed in state custody.

A nanny, Chunmei Li, 58, was charged with felony child abuse in connection with the alleged 2025 incident involving the two-month-old child. An arrest warrant has been issued for her, but she has not been apprehended, according to court records.

Prosecutors sought bail of $100 million each, citing the seriousness of the charges and alleged flight risks. A judge instead set bail at $20 million each, along with home detention and a protective order barring the couple from visiting their children.

A bail review hearing has been scheduled for Monday.