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Prosecutors allege D4vd, the singer who's accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, possessed child pornography on his phone.
D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, appeared in court on Thursday, April 23, to check on the status of his upcoming preliminary hearing. During the proceedings, prosecutors told the court that police went through Burke's iPhone and discovered a "significant amount" of child porn, per TMZ. They did not confirm whether the images on his phone were of the teenage victim. L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman also explained that a wiretap was conducted last year as part of three separate grand jury investigations.
As previously reported, D4vd's tour manager, Robert Morgenroth, and his close friend, Neo Langston, were called to testify in front of one of the grand juries last year. While Morgenroth instantly cooperated, Langston failed to comply with the subpoena and was later arrested in Montana. Following his arrest, Langston eventually went before the grand jury for a total of 40 minutes. He denied having anything to do with Celeste's murder, but hinted he knew more about the case than he was letting on.
Burke was arrested and charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, mutilating a body, and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. The first-degree murder charge with special circumstances makes him eligible for the death penalty. D4vd is being held without bond at the L.A. Men's Central Jail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested a preliminary hearing. His attorneys, led by Blair Berk, said the prosecution has yet to turn over any of their evidence. However, D.A. Silverman said the transcripts from the grand jury investigations and other evidence will be available soon.
The judge scheduled Burke's preliminary hearing for May 1. Prosecutors say they're ready to reveal the evidence and want to go to trial within 60 days.