Singer D4vd had 'significant amount' of child sex abuse images when arrested, prosecutors say

US singer D4vd has been accused of having "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.

The discovery was made through search warrants in the case as police investigated how Celeste Rivas Hernandez died and ended up in the singer's Tesla, prosecutors said in court on Thursday.

Prosecutors allege D4vd repeatedly sexually abused the teen before killing and dismembering her body, which they say he did to protect his lucrative music career.

D4vd, whose real name David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in the case.

Warning: This story contains distressing content and details of death.

His attorneys have maintained they "will vigorously defend David's innocence" and said they believe the "evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste".

The BBC has contacted Burke's attorneys about the allegations of him possessing material depicting child sex abuse and indecent images of children. The singer is not facing a criminal charge related to those new allegations.

Two court hearings in the case are due to take place on Wednesday and Friday next week.

Rivas Hernandez's body was found dismembered in a black zipper bag in the front trunk of Burke's Telsa in September 2025. Police made the discovery after receiving a report of a foul odour emanating from the vehicle, which had been towed to a Hollywood tow yard.

Police had been investigating the case for months but very few details were shared with the public as to what happened to the girl and whether she had any connection to the TikTok star, which in turn led to a variety of online conspiracies.

D4vd, who rose to fame on TikTok with the viral hits Romantic Homicide and Here With me, was on tour when police made the discovery in his car. His worldwide tour was ultimately cancelled and the star largely retreated from public life and social media.

Then, last week, Los Angeles police announced his arrest. The district attorney filed seven criminal charges against him, including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child and the mutilation of remains.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell have said that they have recovered and analysed "a substantial amount of digital and forensic evidence" in the case.

They said the teen had been reported missing by her family and was last seen Burke's Hollywood Hills home on 3 April 2025. Her body was found decomposing in Burke's Tesla five months later.

Rivas Hernandez's family made their first public statement this week, describing the love they had for the teen and calling for justice in her death.

"Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together," her parents Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez said in a statement.

"We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is Justice for Celeste."

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced the teen's cause of death and released her autopsy report, which had been barred from public disclosure at the police's behest.

The report confirmed that Rivas Hernandez died by homicide from "multiple penetrating injuries" caused by an undisclosed object or objects. It confirmed her body had been dismembered and was heavily decomposed by the time she was found.

According to the BBC's US media partner CBS News, prosecutors told a Los Angeles County Superior Court that three grand juries have heard evidence in the investigation so far.

An indictment has not been handed down as part of those investigations and the singer was instead charged by the district attorney through a criminal complaint.

Burke's attorneys have pointed to that issue in their statements. "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," they said in a statement to the BBC.

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