Child Exploitation and Federal Courts

Federal prosecutors in Utah say Robert "Bobby" Edwards, the 50‑year‑old millionaire founder of the Squatty Potty toilet‑stool company, has been indicted on a charge of receiving child sexual abuse material and was ordered held without bail. A federal grand jury in the District of Utah returned the indictment on Feb. 10, 2026, alleging Edwards bought and received "countless" images and videos of child sexual abuse between March 2021 and November 2025; he was arrested Feb. 12 in Washington County and has pleaded not guilty. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an undercover FBI agent first saw Edwards in a March 2021 online meeting room where such material was being viewed, agents later traced alleged purchases of child sexual abuse material to an online payment account in his name in May 2025, and a Nov. 4, 2025 search of his home and vehicle allegedly turned up a phone and other devices containing multiple recently downloaded images and videos. Edwards, who turned Squatty Potty into a nationally recognized brand after appearances on 'The Doctors' and ABC’s 'Shark Tank,' is no longer affiliated with the company; current owner Aterian, Inc. issued a statement saying all ties ended with its 2021 asset purchase and calling the allegations "abhorrent" and contrary to its values. The case will proceed in federal court in St. George, Utah, and underscores that high‑profile entrepreneurs face the same child‑exploitation statutes as anyone else when the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices decide they have the evidence to charge.