A shocking and deeply disturbing case has emerged in Cincinnati, where a former physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is facing federal charges related to child pornography. Federal authorities allege that 73-year-old Howard M. Saal, of Cincinnati, possessed and transported an enormous cache of child sexual abuse material — some involving victims as young as newborns.
Saal, who once served as a geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, appeared in federal court today to face the serious accusations. According to investigators, the case began when a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip identified image search activity for child pornography traced directly to Saal’s IP address.
The cyber tip included an image depicting two naked girls — approximately 10 years old — engaged in sexual conduct. That discovery prompted a full-scale federal investigation and the seizure of Saal’s electronic devices.
What investigators uncovered was staggering. According to the FBI, an ongoing forensic review of those devices has so far revealed more than 153,000 images and 470 videos of child sexual abuse material. Disturbingly, some of the material involves infant victims, including newborns. The scope and nature of the collection, authorities say, point to years of active exploitation consumption.
Saal, who is no longer affiliated with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, is charged federally with transporting and possessing child pornography — crimes that carry the potential for decades in federal prison. Prosecutors have not yet detailed whether any of the victims were personally known to Saal or connected to his former medical practice, but the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Federal authorities stressed the seriousness of the charges and the devastating harm child sexual exploitation inflicts on victims. “Each image and video represents a child who has been abused and victimized,” law enforcement officials emphasized, noting that the identification of victims is a critical priority in the ongoing review of the material.
The case has sent shockwaves through the Cincinnati community, especially given Saal’s former role in a respected children’s hospital. Officials urge anyone with information related to the case to contact the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force.
As the legal process moves forward, Saal remains under federal scrutiny. A booking photograph is not yet available, but when he appears again in court, officials expect to release one to the public.
The magnitude of the evidence — 153,000 images and hundreds of videos — underscores what investigators describe as one of the more extreme child exploitation cases they have encountered. Authorities vow to pursue full accountability and justice for the victims, some of whom were too young to speak or even walk when the abuse occurred.
Leave a Reply