Robert "Bobby" Edwards on "Shark Tank" (Getty Images)
Robert "Bobby" Edwards, cofounder of the Squatty Potty company, has been charged with receiving child pornography in Utah, federal prosecutors said.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Utah District, Edwards, 50, of Ivins, Utah, was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 10 and arrested two days later.
Squatty Potty founder charged with child porn
What we know:
Investigators said from March 2021 through November 2025, Edwards knowingly received multiple images of child sexual abuse material. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in March 2021, an undercover FBI agent joined an online meeting room where people were viewing child sexual abuse material videos on the main screen.
What they're saying:
"Participants in the meeting were visible, including one user later identified as Edwards," the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
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Four years later, in May 2025, FBI agents reportedly found that Edwards bought more child sex abuse material using his PayPal account. On Nov. 4, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Edwards’ home. Investigators say 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 allegedly found more child sex abuse images in the home.
What's next:
Edwards pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the U.S. Marshal Service until his detention hearing, which is scheduled for March 2.
According to Hanlon Law, a sex crimes law firm in Tampa, Florida, a first-time offender faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted of possessing child pornography.
What is a squatty potty?
The backstory:
Edwards founded the Squatty Potty company in 2011 with his mom, dad and brother, according to the Washington County Historical Society. The idea came after a doctor told his mom that using a footstool to raise her knees on the toilet would help with constipation.
The squatty potty is a foot support with a curve that allows it to be stored underneath the toilet seat.
In 2012, the Edwards family featured the squatty potty on the show "The Doctors," then pitched the product on ABC’s "Shark Tank" two years later. They made a deal with one of the show’s investors, and had $12.3 million in sales within three months of their "Shark Tank" appearance. According to a "Shark Tank" follow-up that aired in 2020, the company was valued at $175 million. It was purchased by Aterian, Inc. in 2021. Aterian released the following statement after Edwards' indictment:
Aterian has no affiliation, partnership, or ongoing relationship with Mr. Robert Edwards. Edwards was part of a group, including private equity firms, that sold specific assets to Aterian in a one-time transaction in 2021.
Following the completion of that acquisition, all associations with Edwards and his family ceased. He is not an employee, a partner, or a stakeholder in our company. Any claims to the contrary are categorically false.
We are deeply disturbed by the indictment against Edwards. The nature of these allegations is abhorrent and wholly inconsistent with our company’s values. While the family was previously referenced on our website in a historical context, we have removed those references. They have no role in our brand’s present or future.
The Source: This report includes information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Utah District, the Washington County Historical Society and Hanlon Law.