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Image: Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, by Nationwide Children’s Hospital – CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Families of 13 children have filed a federal lawsuit against a former pediatric urologist and two hospital systems, alleging that he improperly photographed young patients during medical procedures and stored sensitive images in a personal cloud account alongside child sexual abuse material, WWNY/WTVG reported.
The November 4 complaint names Dr. Bryan Shanley Sack, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center as defendants.
Sack formerly served as chief of pediatric urology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital–Toledo. The families allege that the hospitals failed to supervise him adequately, enforce policies governing medical photography and protect children undergoing intimate examinations.
Some of the children were infants or toddlers when they received treatment.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and seeks class-action status on behalf of potentially thousands of former patients.
What Investigators Found in the Doctor’s Cloud Account
Sack was arrested in February 2026 following an investigation into suspected possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to an FBI affidavit cited in the civil complaint, investigators examined a personal Dropbox account associated with Sack and discovered 1,291 files classified as child sexual abuse material, along with more than 27,000 additional files described as concerning or potentially exploitative images involving children.
The account also contained photographs and videos of pediatric medical procedures, including close-up images of children’s genitals.
Parents allege that Sack used his personal cellphone to take photographs during examinations, sometimes when children were separated from their parents or under anesthesia.
The lawsuit questions why medical photographs were stored outside the hospitals’ approved systems and alongside material unrelated to patient care.
Investigators also reportedly identified access to the Dropbox account through an internet connection associated with Mercy Health’s Toledo network.
Sack has pleaded not guilty to separate federal criminal charges involving child sexual abuse material. His criminal trial is scheduled for January 12, 2027.
Hospitals Accused of Failing to Protect Young Patients
The civil complaint focuses heavily on the hospitals’ responsibilities to patients and their families.
According to the lawsuit, Nationwide Children’s and Mercy Health failed to enforce appropriate safeguards involving patient photography, supervision and access to sensitive medical images.
The families allege that hospital personnel should have prevented the use of personal devices to capture intimate photographs without proper authorization.
They also question whether examination-room chaperone policies were adequately enforced, particularly when children were undressed, undergoing procedures or unable to communicate what was happening.
The complaint includes claims involving negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, invasion of privacy and emotional distress. Nationwide Children’s also faces an allegation of fraudulent concealment.
The plaintiffs argue that the institutions’ alleged failures allowed sensitive medical images to be removed from clinical settings and placed in a personal account without appropriate safeguards.
These allegations have not yet been resolved in court.
Nationwide Children’s Disputes Connection to Clinical Care
When Sack was arrested in February, Nationwide Children’s said its understanding was that the criminal allegations weren’t connected to his clinical work.
The hospital reiterated that position following the filing of the civil lawsuit.
In a statement reported by PEOPLE and The Toledo Blade, Nationwide Children’s said law enforcement agencies had informed it that Sack’s criminal charges were unrelated to his clinical activities.
The hospital also confirmed that Sack was terminated after his arrest and no longer has any affiliation with the organization.
The families, however, argue that the discovery of pediatric medical images in Sack’s personal account raises questions about the hospital’s earlier assurances.
Families Seek Answers About Other Potentially Affected Children
The plaintiffs aren’t seeking financial compensation alone.
They also want the hospitals to identify and notify patients who may have been affected, examine how sensitive medical images were accessed or exported, and preserve relevant records.
The complaint asks that any patient images held outside authorized medical systems be identified and recovered, with appropriate procedures for their eventual destruction after preservation of evidence required for investigations or litigation.
The families are also seeking counseling expenses and other compensation for affected children and their parents.
Their proposed class action could encompass between 1,000 and 2,500 patients treated or examined by Sack, although that estimate doesn’t establish that all those children were photographed improperly or experienced abuse.
No class has been certified.
