A former legislator in China's Xinjiang region has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit child abuse in a California case involving 21 children. Guojun Xuan, 66, and his wife, Silvia Zhang, 39, were arraigned on 6 October at a Pasadena courthouse, where a judge set bail at $20 million (£15.2 million) each.
Prosecutors allege that the couple encouraged nannies to physically punish children at their Arcadia mansion, which Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described as a 'house of horrors'. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.
