D4vd Had ‘Significant Amount’ of Child Pornography in iCloud Account, Prosecutors Say

In a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday, prosecutors alleged that singer D4vd—whose legal name is David Anthony Burke—kept a "vast quantity" of child pornography stored in his iCloud account. The revelation came just days after Burke was formally charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman of Los Angeles County stated that the material is so extensive that processing it has become a prolonged task, as reported by NBC News. Burke’s iCloud account holds eight terabytes of data, but authorities have only managed to download one terabyte so far, leaving the exact proportion of illicit content unclear. Prosecutors noted that defense attorneys can review the data on a secure computer at the justice center, while an additional 20 to 30 terabytes of raw data from multiple devices are being transferred onto drives for Burke’s legal team. During the hearing, Burke appeared in an orange jumpsuit and was described as "slumped" in his chair, still being held without bail. The singer, best known for his 2022 breakout single "Romantic Homicide," which amassed over a billion streams on Spotify, had been building a career as a rising star in the alternative R&B scene before his arrest.

The case took a darker turn earlier this week when the Los Angeles County medical examiner released an autopsy report, completed in December but sealed until now, which concluded that Hernandez died from multiple stab wounds, with the manner of death ruled a homicide. The report detailed that Rivas suffered "multiple penetrating injuries," including two wounds to the torso—one in the upper abdomen that penetrated the liver, and another in the left chest. Her body was discovered in multiple bags inside the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla in September 2025, with her arms and legs severed and the remains significantly decomposed. Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old from the Los Angeles area, was last seen alive on April 23, 2025, when she reportedly visited Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills, according to District Attorney Nathan Hochman. Legal experts have noted that the combination of digital evidence and physical evidence could present unique challenges in court. For context, the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, known for its celebrity residents and panoramic views of Los Angeles, has been the site of several high-profile criminal cases in recent years, though few have involved such graphic allegations involving a minor.

Burke was arrested last Friday and formally charged on Monday with first-degree murder, a charge that could potentially make him eligible for the death penalty under California law, though such sentences are rarely imposed in the state due to a moratorium. In addition to the murder charge, he faces accusations of lewd acts with a child and dismembering the girl’s body. Criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos, a prominent figure in high-profile cases, commented in a recent interview that "the sheer volume of data involved suggests a complex forensic analysis ahead," noting that the combination of evidence, including the alleged child pornography and the brutality of the killing, could significantly impact pretrial proceedings and public perception. The case is expected to proceed through the courts over the coming months, with Burke’s defense team likely to challenge the admissibility of the digital evidence, arguing potential violations of privacy or search protocols. As authorities work to fully catalog the terabytes of data from Burke’s devices, the investigation continues to unfold, with further hearings anticipated to address bail conditions and the scope of discovery. The gruesome nature of the crime has sparked broader conversations about the intersection of digital privacy and criminal investigations, with some legal scholars suggesting that this case could influence future rulings on cloud storage searches in murder trials.