Squatty Potty founder charged; squatty potty creator federally indicted in Utah child porn case
Robert "Bobby" Edwards, 50, the founder of the squatty potty brand, has been federally charged with receipt of child pornography and arrested in Washington County, Utah, after investigators say he purchased and received images and videos between March 2021 and November 2025. Edwards was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 10 and arrested on Feb. 12; he pleaded not guilty at his initial appearance and was ordered held without bail by Judge Paul Kohler in St. George.
Investigation and Zoom meeting
Federal investigators began looking into Edwards in 2021 when an undercover FBI agent joined an online group chat that was "being used to trade child pornography. " On one occasion the agent clicked a Zoom link and entered a virtual meeting room where attendees were watching child sexual abuse videos on a main screen. "Participants in the meeting were visible, including one user later identified as Edwards, " the U. S. Attorney’s Office said. Agents linked the account to Edwards through an IP address that placed him in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during the session and compared photos of Edwards to his Zoom profile image and the live video.
Payments, PayPal and John Carver
Prosecutors wrote that in May PayPal flagged four of Edwards’ transactions as possibly related to child sexual abuse materials. Agents later learned those transactions were between Edwards and John Carver, a United Kingdom man who was arrested days later and ultimately convicted for distributing the materials and blackmailing buyers. Carver advertised the illicit content on the messaging app Telegram, sent a PayPal link for payment and then provided a link to the purchased files; prosecutors allege he sometimes distributed such materials in Zoom meetings, including the 2021 screening.
Search, devices and recent downloads
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Edwards’ home on Nov. 4, 2025. Investigators said they found a cell phone in his vehicle that "contained multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material, some of which downloaded onto the cell phone just two weeks before the search warrant was executed. " Authorities also found additional images of child sexual abuse material in the home and messages discussing the materials. Prosecutors cited chats alleged to be from Edwards, including one that read: "Hey brother, Id love to perv but into most all jiust not into babies. 5+ is preferred[. ]"
Edwards' statements and drug history
Edwards told agents that "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. " In an unrelated felony case Edwards pleaded guilty to drug-related offenses in Utah’s 5th District Court in November 2023 and records indicate he signed up through a private probation company for two years of supervision.
Business origins and growth
Edwards founded The Squatty Potty in 2011 with his mom, dad and brother, the Washington County Historical Society notes. The idea followed a doctor advising his mother that raising her knees with a footstool could ease longstanding constipation; Edwards fashioned a footstool with a cut-out that wraps around the toilet base. The family featured the invention on the show "The Doctors" in 2012 and pitched the product on Shark Tank in 2014, striking a deal with investor Lori Greiner and generating $12. 3 million in sales within three months of the appearance.
Sale, advertising and company response
The toilet accessory grew further after a 2015 ad featuring the brand’s mascot Dookie the unicorn, which has been viewed 42 million times. Aterian, Inc. purchased Squatty Potty in 2021 for $19 million, and the company reported more than 8 million stools sold as of 2022. Squatty Potty later released a statement late Tuesday saying all associations with Edwards "ceased" after the acquisition; references to his family’s role in the company were removed Tuesday from its "Our Story" page. In its statement it was "deeply disturbed by the indictment, " and added, "The nature of these" unclear in the provided context.
Edwards presented his invention on Season 11 of Shark Tank and the product's marketing has long promised to help users "get off the toilet. " Federal authorities allege the purchases and possession span from March 2021 through November 2025, and the indictment and arrest followed the grand jury action on Feb. 10 and the arrest on Feb. 12. Edwards remains jailed following his not guilty plea at the initial court appearance, with Judge Paul Kohler ordering him held without bail in St. George.
