A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Friday ruled to keep bail at $20 million each for two defendants accused of a yearslong pattern of child abuse, a decision in which the judge denies bail reduction despite defense arguments about health and flight risk.
Prosecutors have charged Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, with conspiracy to commit child abuse and multiple counts of dissuading a witness. Authorities say the pair, Chinese nationals with dual U.S. citizenship, had 21 children, including 19 born via surrogates, and raised them in a 10,000-square-foot Arcadia home staffed by six live-in nannies. One nanny, Chunmei Li, 58, is separately charged with beating a 2-month-old, allegedly causing a brain bleed. Prosecutors say the infant did not receive medical care for two days.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. Xuan’s attorney, Mitchell Krems, has called the allegations “patently false,” asserting that any abuse was carried out by nannies. Krems also told the court his client is gravely ill, battling a rare leukemia and recovering from a bone marrow transplant. Xuan appeared in court in a wheelchair as the defense sought to reduce his bail to $5 million or to release him without bail, arguing that jail poses a serious risk to his health and that he has not received all prescribed medications. The defense also argued there is no evidence of flight risk.
Judge denies bail reduction after risk factors cited
Prosecutors asked the court to raise bail to $100 million, pointing to financial records they say show Xuan held at least $76 million in two money market accounts. They also alleged the couple misrepresented themselves to potential surrogates as a struggling married pair unable to conceive, while Xuan was worth tens of millions of dollars and the Arcadia property was reportedly valued at more than $4 million.
Investigators say the home was equipped with more than 30 cameras monitoring children and nannies. According to a criminal complaint, surveillance video showed nannies inflicting harsh punishments, including bare-buttock spankings, kicks, repeated strikes to hands with sticks, blows with shoes, hits to the head and body, and forcing children to squat for prolonged periods. A deputy district attorney told the court that the audio of the footage contained constant screams. Prosecutors also said that during interviews, Xuan could not recall all of his children’s names without consulting a spreadsheet.
Zhang’s attorney, Matt Koohanim, told the court there was no intimate relationship between his client and Xuan, describing it as more akin to an employer and employee arrangement.
Related civil suit and alleged surrogacy scheme
Five surrogate mothers filed a civil lawsuit last month accusing Xuan and Zhang of fraud, negligence, nonconsensual use of gametes or embryos in assisted reproduction, and sexual battery. Their complaint alleges that behind the public image of a struggling couple, Xuan was a wealthy man fixated on impregnating women and amassing a large number of children, and that the defendants used deception and coercion to obtain consent for invasive reproductive procedures.
Prosecutors say the couple sidestepped typical surrogacy industry background checks by forming their own company, Mark Surrogacy Investments, and that they made false statements to at least two women, including claims that Zhang was having difficulty conceiving.
Allegations of witness tampering and potential flight risk
According to prosecutors, before a police raid on the Arcadia home last year, the couple told some children to deny being beaten, and Zhang allegedly directed them to hide sticks used for hitting. On Friday, the judge cited indications that evidence may have been hidden or destroyed and that witnesses could have been moved out of the country. The court also noted Xuan’s possession of four passports, including a Mexican passport, as reasons to maintain the current bail.
If convicted, prosecutors say Xuan faces up to 17 years and 4 months in prison, Zhang up to 11 years and 8 months, and Li up to 12 years.
