By Elizabeth Wolfe, Andi Babineau, Jason Kravarik, CNN
(CNN) — Child pornography is among the key evidence Los Angeles prosecutors say will bolster their case against alt-pop singer d4vd, who has been charged with murder and prolonged sexual abuse of a middle school-aged girl whose remains were found in the trunk of his car last year.
The 21-year-old entertainer, who was arrested on April 16, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old and mutilating human remains.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez – who was last seen alive going to his home in April 2025 – when she threatened to expose his sexual relationship with her and ruin his career, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.
Celeste was killed by multiple penetration wounds, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
During a court hearing Thursday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said evidence against the singer includes “a significant amount of child pornography” on Burke’s iPhone, a wiretap and up to 40 terabytes of data obtained by various law enforcement agencies.
The digitization and transfer of that evidence – which includes police documents, sheriff’s department data, body-worn camera videos, forensic reports, vehicle reports and images, and chemical processing – was discussed in court.
Under the law, child pornography evidence can’t be obtained without adhering to a specific protocol from the court, Silverman said. Her office has begun handing over the investigative findings to d4vd’s attorneys, who said Monday they had received “almost no discovery” related to the case.
As Burke sat in court, clad in a bright orange jumpsuit, the defense asked to postpone the preliminary hearing because it is waiting on evidence from the district attorney’s office. The hearing is now set for May 1.
Blair Berk – one of d4vd’s attorneys – said previously in a statement, “The 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. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Autopsy sheds light on cause of death
Ahead of the charges against Burke, details of how Celeste died and who was under investigation remained hidden as authorities convened a grand jury and shielded investigative findings from the public.
But an autopsy report, which had previously been sealed by a judge, was finally released Wednesday. It revealed Celeste died from “multiple penetrating injuries.”
The girl’s dismembered body was found in September in the front trunk of d4vd’s Tesla, which had been towed from the Hollywood Hills to a police impound lot.
Celeste’s remains were in a zippered body bag and she had two wounds that “may represent sharp force injuries” – one to her chest and another to her abdomen, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office. Additional skin abrasions are noted, though the medical examiner could not determine the causes because of the severe decomposition of the body.
Her arms and legs had been dismembered, and multiple blue plastic fragments were “embedded in the cut surfaces,” and submitted i