Singer D4vd had 'significant amount' of child sex abuse images when arrested, prosecutors say
David Anthony Burke is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
US singer D4vd had "a significant amount" of images depicting child sex abuse on his phone and iCloud account when he was arrested over the death of a 14-year-old girl found in his car, prosecutors say.
Listen to this article
The musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The alleged discovery of the child abuse material was made through search warrants in the case as police investigated how Ms Hernandez died and ended up in the singer's Tesla, prosecutors said in court on Thursday.
Her remains were found in the boot of his abandoned car in the Hollywood Hills area last September in what prosecutors have described as a "brutal and horrific murder".
Ms Hernandez had been the subject of a long-term missing person appeal and was last seen alive in April 2024 when she was aged just 13.
Read more: Officials release cause of death for missing girl found dead in singer D4vd's car
Shortly after Ms Hernandez's body was found, the singer cancelled his world tour and retreated from the spotlight.
Police held a press conference in Los Angeles earlier this week, during which the charges against the 21-year-old were laid out.
Charges also include numerous lewd sexual acts with an individual younger than 14 years old, DA Nathan Hochman told the press conference.
The DA's office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case, Mr Hochman also said.
Hochman added on April 23 2025, Ms Hernandez, who was aged 14 at the time, went to Burke's house in the Hollywood Hills and "she was never heard from again".
In a statement to US media last week following his arrest, Burke's lawyers said: "Let us be clear - actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.
"There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed.
"David has only been detained under suspicion.
"We will vigorously defend David’s innocence."
