Prosecutors in Los Angeles said the singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, possessed a significant amount of child sexual abuse material found on his iCloud account, and phone.
The images emerged during the investigation into the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in September 2025 in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke and abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
Burke, 21, was arrested last week and charged on Monday with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has pleaded not guilty.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Burke began a sexual relationship with Celeste when she was 13 and killed her to prevent her from reporting the abuse and to protect his music career.
Celeste went to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills on 23 April 2025 and was never heard from again. Her parents reported her missing that month, but her body was not found until September.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner said Celeste died from penetrating injuries, including a wound that penetrated her liver. The advanced decomposition of her remains prevented examiners from determining her eye color or a more specific cause of death.
For more on this story, see Singer D4vd arrested for murder after teen’s body found in his Tesla.
Burke’s attorneys insist he is innocent and have demanded an accelerated preliminary hearing, invoking his right to have a judge rule within 10 court days whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. Few defendants choose this path.
A hearing is set for next week, where prosecutors are expected to present evidence publicly for the first time. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said investigators collected about 40 terabytes of digital evidence in the case, including data from a wiretap operation whose details she did not disclose.
Silverman also confirmed prosecutors held three secret investigative grand jury hearings after Celeste’s death — two in November and December 2025 and one in February — to preserve testimony, though they could not secure an indictment through those proceedings.
The defense has not commented on whether the child abuse material found on Burke’s devices is linked to Celeste or another victim. Burke’s lawyer, Blair Berk, has publicly pressed Silverman for more discovery materials, a move one former prosecutor described as a “hell of a game of chicken.”
What charges does Burke face?
He is charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains, with special allegations of lying in wait, killing for financial gain, and murdering a witness.
Why is the defense pushing for a quick preliminary hearing?
Burke’s attorneys say they want to test the prosecution’s case early and have invoked a legal right few defendants utilize to force a judicial review of the evidence within 10 court days of arraignment.