Tuesday, August 12, 2025

For Immediate Release—U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio

Howard M Saal MD

CINCINNATI – A former children’s hospital doctor is charged federally with transporting and possessing child pornography.

Howard M. Saal (73) of Cincinnati, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this afternoon. Saal was previously employed as a geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. 

A dysmorphologist is a medical specialist focused on the study and diagnosis of birth defects and abnormal patterns of physical development. They are typically board-certified pediatricians with additional specialized training in dysmorphology. Dysmorphologists analyze patterns of malformations, evaluate family and pregnancy history, and interpret developmental and structural problems to arrive at a diagnosis and guide management

According to charging documents, a Hamilton County Sherriff’s Office detective working on the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force investigated a cyber tip regarding image searches for child pornography that originated from Saal’s IP address. The cyber tip image depicted two naked females, approximately 10 years old, engaged in sexual conduct.

To date, as part of an ongoing review of Saal’s electronic devices, the FBI has thus far identified more than 153,000 images and 470 videos of child sexual abuse material. Some of the child pornography involves child victims as young as a newborn.

At this time, investigators have not located any evidence of child pornography involving patients or children associated with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey

“I am incredibly proud of the work of our Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations unit and their diligence in investigating this individual. 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.”

FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola

“The FBI and our partners will continue to fiercely investigate those who attempt to sexually exploit children. 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.”

Transporting child pornography is a federal crime punishable by at least five and up to 20 years in prison. Possessing child pornography carries a potential maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola. Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and Ohio ICAC announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle E. Margeaux is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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