Squatty Potty Founder Faces Legal Cloud and Reputation Risk as Federal Indictment Unfolds
Why this matters now: The federal indictment and arrest of Robert "Bobby" Edwards place the squatty potty brand and its recent corporate buyer under immediate reputational and legal strain, while key evidence timelines and connections remain unclear. The indictment alleges conduct stretching from 2021 through late 2025, and the company's formal distancing has already begun — setting up questions for courts, the buyer and the public.
Unclear facts and immediate legal risks
Major uncertainties remain about how the evidence will be tied to Edwards in court and what collateral effects will follow. The case involves online meetings, flagged payments, devices seized months apart and a related overseas defendant whose conviction is part of the investigative thread. Here’s the part that matters: the sequence and provenance of digital purchases, links between accounts and the timing of downloads are the details that could determine next steps in prosecution and any civil fallout.
Case milestones and courtroom status
Federal charges were returned by a grand jury on Feb. 10; Edwards was arrested two days later in Washington County, Utah. He pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance and was ordered held without bail by Judge Paul Kohler in St. George. An image caption in court records places the Fifth District Court in St. George on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, as a related court reference in the public file. Recent filings and custody actions reflect active federal prosecution, but many procedural steps remain ahead in the docket.
Allegations and investigative timeline
- March 2021: An undercover FBI agent joined an online meeting room where attendees were watching child sexual abuse videos on a main screen; participants were visible and one user was later identified as Edwards.
- May 2025: Agents say purchases linked to an online payment account showed Edwards bought additional illicit material; PayPal flagged four transactions as potentially related.
- Related overseas actor: Transactions were tied to a United Kingdom man named John Carver, who was arrested days after the transactions surfaced and later convicted for distributing materials and blackmailing buyers. Carver advertised on Telegram, sent PayPal payment links and sometimes distributed files in Zoom meetings.
- November 4, 2025: A search warrant at Edwards' home led investigators to a cell phone in his vehicle containing multiple videos and images, some downloaded roughly two weeks prior, along with additional images found inside the home.
- Law enforcement also recovered devices in a November search containing material and messages that prosecutors describe as discussing the illicit content. In one chat, Edwards is alleged to have said he preferred children five and older and not babies.
Squatty Potty's corporate history and immediate fallout
Edwards founded The Squatty Potty in 2011 with his mother, father and brother after a doctor recommended a footstool to relieve constipation; he fashioned a cut-out stool to wrap around the toilet base. The product appeared on the show The Doctors in 2012 and was pitched on Shark Tank in 2014, where Edwards made a deal with investor Lori Greiner and saw $12. 3 million in sales within three months of that appearance. A later ad featuring the brand's mascot drove wide attention the following year.
Aterian, Inc. purchased Squatty Potty in 2021 for $19 million; the company reported more than 8 million stools sold as of 2022. After the indictment was unsealed, the brand released a statement saying associations with Edwards ceased following the acquisition, removed references to his family from its "Our Story" page and described the indictment as deeply disturbing.
Legal history beyond the current indictment and outstanding questions
Edwards has additional court history: he pleaded guilty to drug-related offenses in Utah's 5th District Court in November 2023 and signed up for two years of supervision through a private probation company. In interactions with investigators tied to the present case, Edwards told agents he did not recall viewing child pornography and said he had been addicted to methamphetamine, was receiving treatment and was living off proceeds from the Squatty Potty acquisition plus some Bitcoin.
Micro timeline (key dates in public filings and filings referenced):
- 2011: Squatty Potty founded by Edwards and family.
- 2012–2014: Product media appearances and Shark Tank deal.
- March 2021: Undercover agent joins online meeting where materials were screened.
- May 2025: Payment flags and links to overseas distributor emerge.
- Nov. 4, 2025: Search warrant executed; devices seized with recent downloads.
- Feb. 10 (indictment) and Feb. 12 (arrest): Federal grand jury returned charges and Edwards was arrested.
The real question now is how prosecutors will present the digital trail that ties specific purchases and downloads to Edwards, and how the company’s buyer will respond as proceedings continue. It's easy to overlook, but the multi-year span of alleged activity and the involvement of an overseas distributor are the features that make proof and chronology central to the case's direction.
Writer's aside: The mix of payment flags, online meeting recordings and device downloads over separate years creates a complex evidentiary picture; that complexity often lengthens both discovery and pretrial dispute resolution in federal cases.
