LOS ANGELES — The L.A. sheriff's department is investigating whether deputies may have shared graphic photos of human remains from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others.

"We're looking into the situation," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokeswoman, Deputy Grace Medrano.

The photos are alleged to have been seen on smartphones and shown to others, the Los Angeles Times reported. The newspaper reported that one source, which it did not name, let another person take a peek at a photo on his phone. While the photos were reportedly viewed apart from the crash investigation, it was unknown whether they were shot at the scene by a first responder or received from someone else.

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Bryant and daughter Gianna, 13, were passengers on the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that crashed last month on a foggy morning in a mountainous area of Calabasas, California. A preliminary investigation determined the helicopter hit the ground at high speed and the wreckage was scattered over a large area near a hilltop. There were no survivors.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident, previously released photos of the wreckage, but no bodies can be seen.