Robert “Bobby” Edwards, the cofounder of toilet products company Squatty Potty, has been charged with receiving child pornography in Utah, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
According to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office Utah District, Edwards who is 50 and from Ivins, Utah was indicted by a grand jury on February 10 and arrested two days later. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held until his detention hearing scheduled for March 2.
Who Is Robert ‘Bobby’ Edwards? 5 things to know
1. Stared Squatty Potty with his family
According to the Washington County Historical Society, Edwards is one of the founders of the Squatty Potty company. He started the business in 2011 with his mother, father and his brother. The idea for the product came after a doctor advised his mother to use a footstool to raise her knees while using the toilet to help with constipation.
2. They appeared on TV shows
In 2012, the Edwards family appeared on the TV show ‘The Doctors’ to promote The Squatty Potty: a curved foot support designed to fit under a toilet seat. Two years later, they pitched it on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ where they made a deal with one of the investors.
3. Sold the company in 2021
In 2021, the Edwards family sold the company to Aterian, Inc.. The company said the deal was a one-time transaction and that it no longer has any connection with Robert Edwards. It also removed past references to the Edwards family from its website after the indictment.
4. Company valued at $175 million in 2020
Within three months of their Shark Tank appearance, the company reported $12.3 million in sales. A 2020 ‘Shark Tank’ update said the business was valued at $175 million.
5. No Longer a part of Squatty Potty
Aterian said it is disturbed by the allegations. The company has also stated that Edwards is not an employee, partner or stakeholder and said any claims of ongoing ties to him are false.
Also Read: Multimillionaire US entrepreneur arrested in Utah for buying, receiving child sexual abuse material
Details of the investigation
According to Fox News, prosecutors say that between March 2021 and November 2025, Edwards knowingly received several images of child sexual abuse material. In March 2021, an undercover FBI agent joined an online meeting room where people were watching child sexual abuse material videos on a shared screen.
“Participants in the meeting were visible, including one user later identified as Edwards,” the US Attorney’s Office said.
In May 2025, FBI agents reportedly found that Edwards bought more child sexual abuse material using his PayPal account. On November 4, 2025, officers carried out a search warrant at his home. 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.” They also allegedly found more such material inside the house.
Edwards has pleaded not guilty and is being held by the US Marshal Service until his detention hearing.