Michael Winter

USA TODAY

Virginia parents turned in their 13-year-old daughter to the local sheriff after finding nude photos of her and other teens on her cell phone and tablet.

The unidentified parents said they alerted the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office even though she could be prosecuted. They said they did not want a stranger to possibly see the images and track her down, WTVR-TV reported.

"We did this now to protect her for now and in the future, because this could get worse," the mother of two told the CBS affiliate. "She could be taken."

Their daughter had been texting with boys believed to be 17 of 18 years old and had exchanged nude photos of herself alone. The boys had asked to have sex with her.

The mother learned of the so-called sexting when her other child heard voices in their daughter's bedroom about 4 a.m.

"What scares me is, this is much bigger than we realize. How many others are doing this and you don't realize it?" she said.

The sheriff's office of the southeastern Virginia county is still investigating, but a Commonwealth's Attorney said the daughter could be sent to a juvenile counseling program that would involve her parents.

Depending on their ages, the older teens, however, could potentially face felony charges, the prosecutor said.