Authorities have begun investigating Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith after a controversial photo of their 13-year-old daughter Willow with 20-year-old Moises Arias went viral online.

According to a RadarOnline report cited by Mercury News, the said photo showed fully-clothed Willow lying in bed with the shirtless Moises, a former Hannah Montana actor.

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Radar's source said the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services formally launched the investigation last week and is very serious about it. The department had received an anonymous tip about Willow's welfare and safety, citing the content of the social media photo as basis.

The black-and-white picture showed Willow wearing jeans and a shirt, while Arias is shirtless with his lower half covered by bedsheets. The 20-year-old actor later removed the photo shortly after posting it on Instagram.

The Smith couple has been very cooperative with the authorities, although they do not appreciate their parenting skills being put under the microscope.

The source added that social workers are going to conduct a separate discussion with Willow as well as with Moises. The investigation would most likely last for at least one month.

On May 7, after Willow's mother set foot at Los Angeles International Airport, photographers asked her about the viral photo. In a video posted by TMZ, Jada denied there was anything sexual about both the photo and the situation and lashed out at the interviewers for behaving like "covert pedophiles."

Furthermore, TMZ cited a source saying the Smith couple had "no issue" with the picture. The teen's parents also explained that the picture was simply an "expression of art" and clean fun.

According to AZ Central, the controversial snapshot was thought to be taken over a Coachella weekend festival held in Indio, California. The report added that because of the nature of the said event, the level of adult supervision that the young stars had is now being questioned.