Former Cincinnati Children’s doctor arrested on child pornography charges, loses medical license
By Karin Johnson
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CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A well-known former Cincinnati doctor who was affiliated with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has lost his medical license.
The State Medical Board of Ohio voted on Wednesday to accept the permanent surrender of Howard Saal’s license, effective immediately.
A permanent surrender ensures the 73-year-old will no longer be permitted to practice medicine and surgery in any form or manner in the State of Ohio.
The Medical Board’s decision to accept this permanent surrender, for which there can be no appeal, prioritizes public safety, a spokesperson said.
This comes one day after federal child pornography charges were filed on Saal.
Parents of Saal’s former patients are reacting with shock and concern.
Many parents, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed anger and a sense of broken trust.
“My thoughts were just completely beyond me. We put our children lives in these doctors hands,” one parent said.
Another told WLWT, “I’m mad. I’m mad as hell.”
Saal was previously employed as a geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
He left the hospital effective July 14, 2025, according to a letter received by families last month.
“I got a letter that he was leaving, but I was not sure on why because they did not state why, He’s an older gentleman, so I just kind of thought he was done,” a parent said.
The investigation into Saal began after investigators say a cyber tip in February linked illegal images to an IP address at his home.
On June 12, Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant and seized 29 items, including electronic devices.
The FBI has since identified more than 153,000 images and 470 videos of child sexual abuse material on those devices, according to court documents.
“I’m really angry, and I’m really sad and honestly really scared that our children can be a part of those videos and honestly, with the way it is, we might never know if they are,” a parent said.
Despite these concerns, investigators said they found no evidence of child pornography involving patients or any child connected to the hospital.
Saal’s attorney declined to comment on the case.
Saal was arraigned in Federal court on Tuesday. Federal prosecutors did not seek detention. A judge released him on his own recognizance.
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