Murder-charged singer D4vd had huge amount of child porn on iCloud: US prosecutors

The 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Burke, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, whose dismembered remains were found in his Tesla in September last year.

In Short

• Indie pop musician D4vd charged with 14-year-old girl's murder
• Prosecutors reveal his iCloud contained around 8TB of data
• Victim's dismembered remains found in his Tesla in Sep 2025

Indie pop musician D4vd, who has been charged with the murder of a 14-year-old girl, possessed a massive amount of child sexual abuse material on his iCloud account and phone, prosecutors revealed during a court hearing.

The 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Burke, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in his Tesla in September last year.

He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and multiple other charges, including sex offences and mutilation of a body.

During the hearing at a Los Angeles court on Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told the court that investigators are dealing with an “enormous” volume of data linked to the accused, reports NBC News.

His iCloud account alone contains around eight terabytes of data, of which only one terabyte has been reviewed so far. It remains unclear how much of the eight terabytes contain child porn.

Due to the sensitive nature of the content, authorities said the files cannot be handed over directly but can be examined by defence lawyers on secure systems at a justice facility. Additional evidence, including wiretaps and grand jury testimony, is also pending unsealing, while investigators work to transfer tens of terabytes of data recovered from multiple devices.

The revelations come days after Burke was formally charged with the murder of Hernandez, whose death has been ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

According to the autopsy report released on Wednesday, the teenager died from multiple penetrating injuries, with wounds to the torso, chest and liver consistent with sharp force trauma.

The report also documented dismemberment of both upper and lower extremities, though decomposition limited further forensic conclusions. The exact time of death remains unknown.

Prosecutors allege Celeste disappeared after visiting a Hollywood Hills home rented by Burke. She was last known to be alive on pril 23, 2025, when she was seen at the property.

Hernandez was, however, reported missing from her Lake Elsinore, California home in April 2024, and her movements in the year leading up to her appearance at Burke’s residence remain unclear.

On September 7, 2025, her remains were discovered inside a zippered cadaver bag in the Tesla registered to the singer. Authorities said a second bag containing additional remains was also found.

The vehicle had reportedly been left in a neighbourhood for weeks before being towed, when workers noticed a foul odour and alerted police.

Investigators have also alleged that Burke was involved in a sexual relationship with the victim.

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(With Reuters inputs)