Squatty Potty Founder Robert ‘Bobby’ Edwards Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charge
Robert "Bobby" Edwards, the entrepreneur behind the squatty potty, was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in Washington County, Utah, on charges of receipt of child pornography after an investigation that began in 2021 and extended into late 2025. The case has prompted criminal proceedings in St. George and fresh scrutiny of Edwards’ role in the product’s rise.
Squatty Potty founder: indictment, arrest and court status
The U. S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday that 50-year-old Robert "Bobby" Edwards was indicted on Feb. 10 and taken into custody on Feb. 12 in Washington County, Utah. Edwards, a resident of Ivins, pleaded not guilty at his initial appearance. A federal judge in St. George ordered him held without bail and remanded him to the custody of the U. S. Marshal Service; Judge Paul Kohler is identified with the pretrial custody order. A hearing is scheduled for March 2 at the St. George Courthouse.
Investigation timeline: 2021 online meeting, May 2025 payment flags, November search
Prosecutors trace the investigation to March 2021, when an undercover FBI agent joined a group chat used to trade child sexual abuse material. The agent followed a link posted in the chat to a Zoom meeting room where a screen shared child sexual abuse videos; participants were visible, including a user labeled "B E" who investigators later identified as Edwards. The Zoom account was linked to Edwards through visual comparison of photos and video, and by an IP address that placed the account in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during one session.
In May 2025, four transactions on a PayPal account connected to Edwards were flagged as possibly related to child sexual abuse material. Those transactions were linked to payments to John Carver, a man in the United Kingdom who was arrested days later and ultimately convicted there for distributing such material and for blackmailing buyers. Court documents allege Carver advertised illicit content on a messaging app, sent PayPal links for payment, and delivered purchased files links; some distributions occurred inside Zoom meetings.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Edwards’ home on Nov. 4, 2025. Investigators say they found a cell phone in Edwards’ vehicle containing multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material, including files downloaded roughly two weeks before the search, and additional images and messages in the home and on other devices.
Allegations from chats and Edwards’ statements
Court records include an alleged chat message in which Edwards wrote, "Hey brother, Id love to perv but into most all jiust not into babies. 5+ is preferred. " Edwards is said to have told agents he had no recollection of viewing child pornography. He also allegedly told authorities he was addicted to methamphetamine, had been receiving treatment, and was living off money he made when Squatty Potty was acquired, plus "some Bitcoin. "
Prior criminal matters, business history and local ties
Separately, Edwards pleaded guilty to drug-related offenses in Utah’s 5th District Court in November 2023 and enrolled with a private probation company for two years of supervision. Edwards created and co-founded Squatty Potty in the early 2010s, with one account noting the product was founded in 2011 with his mom, dad and brother. The concept reportedly followed a doctor’s advice about using a footstool to ease constipation. The family’s stool was featured on television in 2012, and Edwards pitched the product on Season 11 of a national investment show in 2014, landing a deal with investor Lori Greiner. One account says the family recorded $12. 3 million in sales within three months of that appearance.
Other milestones cited in filings and local coverage include a widely viewed ad featuring the brand mascot Dookie the unicorn that drew 42 million views; a reported sale of the business in 2021 (with distinct figures noted in records: one report lists a 2021 purchase price of $19 million by a buyer named Aterian, Inc., while another report states the company was sold in 2021 for $30 million). Company metrics include a claim of more than 8 million stools sold as of 2022. Edwards has been a presence in the St. George arts community; he helped launch the Kayenta Center for the Arts in 2011 and served as its first director.
Corporate and community reactions
Following the unsealing of court papers and the indictment, the Squatty Potty brand issued a statement late Tuesday saying that all associations with Edwards "ceased" after the company’s acquisition and that references to his family’s role were removed from the brand's "Our Story" page that same day. it was "deeply disturbed by the indictment. "
Local contacts who spoke with a regional newsroom expressed shock; multiple people affiliated with Edwards declined to go on camera, and one person described being "absolutely devastated. "
What happens next
Edwards faces federal prosecution on a count of receipt of child pornography stemming from the multi-year probe. He remains held without bail in St. George pending the March 2 hearing. The case includes allegations tied to online meetings, flagged financial transactions, a November search that recovered recent downloads, chat messages, and the overseas arrest and conviction of a suspected distributor and blackmailer. Details in the matter may continue to develop as pretrial proceedings move forward.
