AUGUSTA, Ga. - Text messaging is becoming a tool for pedophiles to send pictures to young kids, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

A 13-year-old Augusta girl is the latest victim of this type of crime. The girl’s father tells NBC Augusta 26 News she called him crying Wednesday afternoon after receiving several obscene pictures from an unknown number.

Richmond County investigators say incidents like this one are becoming more common.

"I can tell you we've made quite a few arrests on it,” Lt. Scott Peebles said.

Lt. Peebles says more people are being arrested for sending inappropriate pictures to minors.

"We have had cases where people have sent nude pictures of themselves to people and to minors.”

The father of the Augusta girl says she was home alone when she received the texts.

The incident report states the girl wrote back to the man asking him to stop, he then sent her an addition picture with a message that said, “Did you get my last text?” That's when she called her parents who contacted authorities.

"Were sending a court order to the phone company to provide us with the [man’s] identity,” Peebles said.

Several other parents spoke with 26 News, worried about pedophiles using texts to get to their children.

"You just don't know who's watching you're children,” Telga Lane, a mother of two said. “I would definitely frighten me; there are a lot of predators out there. You just don't know who's in your neighborhood."

"Whoever is out there doing it, know you need to get help real bad,” Alvin Cummings, a father of three said.

"It's a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, which generally means less than a year in jail if someone's prosecuted and convicted,” Lt. Peebles said.

As more children get cell phones, investigators say they don't see this problem going away anytime soon.

The girl's father says they're just trying to get past it and move on into the New Year.

Investigators want to remind you to keep open communication with you're children and to keep an eye on whom they're talking and texting with.

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