A court has heard that American musician D4vd possessed a «significant amount» of indecent images of children when he was taken into custody over the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, BBC reports.
Detectives made the disturbing discovery whilst executing search warrants and combing through over 40 terabytes of data. This extensive digital forensic work was part of an effort to piece together the events that culminated in the teenager’s dismembered body being abandoned in the front boot of the singer’s Tesla Model Y.
During Thursday’s hearing Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman outlined a deeply unsettling sequence of events. The prosecution alleges that David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old artist known professionally as D4vd, repeatedly subjected the young girl to sexual abuse after she visited his Hollywood Hills residence in April 2025.
When she allegedly threatened to blow the whistle on his actions, prosecutors claim Burke murdered and mutilated her in a desperate bid to shield his lucrative profile in the music industry.
The teenager had originally been reported missing by her family from her hometown of Lake Elsinore in 2024. Her remains were eventually discovered decomposing inside two bags within the impounded electric vehicle at a tow yard last September. This gruesome find occurred just a day after she would have turned 15.
Following his arrest near the Chateau Marmont last week Burke is currently being held without bail. He has formally pleaded not guilty to a raft of severe charges including first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous lewd acts with a child under 14 and the unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Despite the mounting allegations his legal representatives remain adamant that they will aggressively fight the charges. His defence team insists the physical evidence will ultimately exonerate the singer and prove he was not responsible for the teenager’s tragic death.
While the BBC has approached Burke’s lawyers regarding the newly disclosed indecent imagery he has yet to be formally charged over this specific digital material. The high-profile case will resume next week with court appearances scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.
