A former physician at one of the nation’s most respected pediatric institutions faces federal charges for allegedly amassing one of the largest personal collections of child sexual abuse material in recent history.
Howard M. Saal, 73, a former geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, appeared in federal court this week after investigators uncovered more than 153,000 images and 470 videos of child sexual abuse material, with victims reportedly as young as newborns.
Charging documents say the case began when a Hamilton County Sheriff’s detective with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force received a cyber tip tracing child sexual abuse image searches to Saal’s home IP address, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio said.
The tip included an image showing two naked girls, believed to be about 10 years old, engaged in explicit conduct.
When investigators executed search warrants, they allegedly found a massive digital archive of abuse. The FBI says many files depicted infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children in sexual acts.
Authorities say there is no evidence linking the materials to any patients or children connected to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. However, because Saal worked directly with children, the case has prompted calls for a deeper investigation.
Saal now faces federal charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences of five years and potential prison terms of up to 20 years for each count — penalties that could keep him in prison for the rest of his life.
“I am incredibly proud of the work of our Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations unit and their diligence in investigating this individual,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement.
“We encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of Dr. Saal to contact our detectives. We will continue to seek out dangerous individuals and bring justice to victims’ families.”
“The FBI and our partners will continue to fiercely investigate those who attempt to sexually exploit children,” said FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola.
“I want to thank the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this investigation and for their strong partnership. Law enforcement is always more effective when we work together to address crime issues impacting our community.”
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