“HOUSE OF HORRORS” — CALIFORNIA COUPLE ACCUSED OF WATCHING NANNIES ABUSE THEIR CHILDREN ON CAMERA AS 16 KIDS ARE REMOVED FROM MANSION

Prosecutors say Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang ran a heavily monitored Arcadia mansion where surrogate-born children were allegedly subjected to repeated physical punishment by nannies. The couple has pleaded not guilty.

A California mansion housing a family of 21 children has become the center of a disturbing criminal investigation after prosecutors accused the children’s parents of allowing — and in some cases participating in — a pattern of alleged abuse.

Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested and charged in California on October 6, 2026, after a lengthy investigation into the home in Arcadia, Los Angeles County.

Prosecutors say at least 14 of the children living in the mansion were subjected to abuse, with some allegedly as young as 2 months old when the incidents occurred.

The Los Angeles County district attorney described the property as a “house of horrors.”

But the couple has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN WITH A BABY

The case first came to authorities’ attention in May 2025, when a 2-month-old boy living at the home was taken to a hospital with a serious head injury.

Investigators began looking into how the infant had been hurt.

Authorities eventually searched the Arcadia mansion and found 16 children living there, ranging in age from about 2 months to 13 years, according to prosecutors. Several other children connected to the investigation were reportedly living elsewhere.

The investigation continued for more than a year before prosecutors announced the latest charges.

MORE THAN 30 CAMERAS INSIDE THE HOME

One of the most disturbing elements of the investigation involves the surveillance system inside the mansion.

According to prosecutors, the home contained more than 30 motion-activated cameras.

The cameras allegedly allowed Xuan and Zhang to monitor the children and the nannies who cared for them.

Three rooms were reportedly used as so-called “learning centers,” where children spent hours sitting at desks under the supervision of nannies.

Prosecutors allege that footage captured nannies spanking, slapping and hitting children.

In one incident, authorities say a nanny struck a child with a shoe, while Zhang and another nanny, Chunmei Li, allegedly laughed while watching the footage.

PROSECUTORS SAY THE PARENTS WATCHED

Authorities allege that the surveillance footage did not simply document what happened inside the home — but that the parents were actively watching.

Prosecutors say Xuan allegedly instructed a nanny to hit a child harder and later joined in the alleged physical abuse.

Investigators also allege that the couple instructed children and nannies to conceal evidence of the alleged abuse when authorities began investigating.

The district attorney’s office says Xuan and Zhang are accused of conspiring to subject children in their home to repeated physical punishment.

ONE NANNY REMAINS ON THE RUN

A nanny identified as Chunmei Li, 58, has also been charged with felony child abuse.

Authorities allege she was involved in the abuse of the 2-month-old infant whose injury initially brought the case to investigators’ attention.

Li is not currently in custody.

A $105,000 reward has been announced for information leading to her arrest, according to prosecutors.

Authorities say she fled after investigators began closing in on the case.

THE COUPLE’S SURROGACY BUSINESS

The case also involves questions surrounding how the couple came to have such a large family.

Prosecutors allege that Xuan and Zhang operated a surrogacy business and recruited women from across the United States.

According to the criminal complaint, prosecutors say the couple made false statements to at least two prospective surrogates about their family circumstances.

The children were primarily born through surrogacy, according to authorities, with 19 of the 21 children reportedly born to surrogate mothers.

The district attorney’s office says the investigation into the children’s parentage and the couple’s broader surrogacy operation is continuing.

THE COUPLE DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS

Xuan and Zhang appeared in court after their arrests and pleaded not guilty.

Xuan’s attorney, Mitchell Krems, has strongly denied the allegations against his client and said the abuse was the work of a nanny who went on the run.

The defense has also argued that Xuan’s goal was simply to raise a large family.

A judge set bail at $20 million each, while prosecutors had sought substantially higher bail.

The couple’s attorneys have emphasized that the allegations remain allegations and that they have not been convicted.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN?

Authorities removed children from the mansion during the investigation.

The case has raised questions about how the children were treated inside the home and how such a large household operated for so long without the alleged conduct being fully exposed.

Prosecutors say the children were subjected to strict rules and repeated physical punishment, while investigators continue examining the evidence collected from the mansion, including surveillance footage.

For now, the criminal case is only beginning.

Xuan and Zhang face serious felony charges, but a charge is not a finding of guilt.

As investigators continue examining the alleged abuse and the circumstances surrounding the family’s surrogacy operation, the children who once lived inside the Arcadia mansion remain at the heart of a case that authorities say is unlike anything they have previously encountered.

A mansion built to house a huge family has instead become the center of a criminal investigation — and the full story of what happened inside is still unfolding.