Allegations of Sexual Abuse Against Dr. Howard Saal

Dr. Howard Saul, a longtime physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, was arrested in June 2025 after federal investigators discovered a vast collection of child sexual abuse material at his home. The FBI reportedly found more than 153,000 images and 470 videos of child sexual exploitation involving victims as young as newborns. In the weeks following his arrest, former patients and their parents came forward with allegations that Dr. Saul photographed new children during medical exams and touched them inappropriately. Many have since filed civil lawsuits against both Saul and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, claiming the institution failed to act despite prior warnings.

Dr. Saul, now 73, worked at the hospital for more than 30 years as a geneticist and dysmorphologist, focusing on children with birth defects. Despite the FBI’s investigation earlier in the year, the hospital never terminated his employment. He resigned only in July 2025 and surrendered his medical license weeks later. New lawsuits filed in August 2025 alleged that Saal’s misconduct was an open secret for years. Attorneys representing dozens of patients say they are seeking class action status with more than 100 additional families now coming forward. Legal experts are questioning what the hospital knew and when they knew it.

Under Ohio law, survivors of sexual abuse can pursue civil lawsuits against both the perpetrator and institution that enabled or failed to prevent the abuse. Victims can also report misconduct to law enforcement or to the state medical board of Ohio, which accepts confidential complaints with no time limit. For survivors, filing a civil lawsuit is often a path forward in their journey. In Ohio, victims of child sexual abuse typically have 12 years after turning 18 to file suit, though exceptions may apply. Each case is unique and consulting an experienced sexual abuse attorney is essential to understanding available options.

At Helping Survivors, we work to connect victims of doctor sexual abuse with trauma-informed attorneys for free. Every law firm we work with takes these types of cases on contingency, meaning there are no upfront costs to speaking to a lawyer and pursuing a claim. If you or a loved one suffered abuse by Dr. Howard Saal at Cincinnati’s Children Hospital, you are not alone and we are here to help.