New details emerged Thursday in the criminal case involving singer D4vd, as prosecutors told a Los Angeles courtroom that investigators found a “significant amount” of child sexual abuse material in digital accounts linked to the artist.
Burke, 21, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is facing charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor and mutilation of human remains in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were discovered last year in a Tesla registered to the performer. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The allegations surfaced during a discovery hearing, where attorneys argued over the release of evidence ahead of a preliminary hearing expected in the coming weeks.
According to prosecutors, one cloud storage account associated with Burke contains roughly eight terabytes of data, only a fraction of which has been reviewed so far. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told the court that within the material already examined, investigators identified what she described as a “significant amount” of child sexual abuse imagery.
Because of the sensitive nature of the files, prosecutors said the material cannot be distributed in ordinary discovery. Instead, defense attorneys would need to review it through secure forensic access arranged by the court.
Authorities also said they are sorting through tens of terabytes of additional digital evidence gathered from phones, devices, search warrants and other investigative sources.
Burke’s attorneys have strongly denied the accusations against him, maintaining that he had no involvement in Hernandez’s death. His legal team has continued pressing for a speedy hearing, saying they want the prosecution’s evidence brought into public view as soon as possible.
The latest hearing came one day after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Hernandez’s death a homicide. Officials said she suffered multiple penetrating injuries to the torso, including wounds to the chest and abdomen consistent with sharp-force trauma.
Investigators believe Hernandez died in April 2025, months before her remains were found on Sept. 7, 2025, in the front trunk compartment of Burke’s impounded Tesla after workers reported a strong odor coming from the vehicle.
Prosecutors have also accused Burke of abusing Hernandez between September 2023 and September 2024, when she was in her early teens and allegedly had repeated contact with him.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has alleged that Burke killed the teenager to prevent damage to his growing music career after she threatened to expose their relationship.
In addition to the murder charge, prosecutors are pursuing special-circumstance allegations of lying in wait, financial gain and killing a witness tied to an investigation. If proven, those enhancements could make Burke eligible for life without parole or the death penalty under California law.
Burke remains in custody without bail.
The case is still in its early stages, and as with all defendants, Burke is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
