Authorities have arrested and jailed the multimillionaire creator of the “Squatty Potty” in Utah for allegedly buying child pornography, federal prosecutors announced this week.
A federal grand jury earlier this month indicted Robert Edwards, 50, of Ivins, Utah, who “knowingly received multiple images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM),” the Utah’s U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Monday.
The indictment represents a stunning turnaround for the entrepreneur who came up with one of the hottest products to hit the wellness market more than ten years ago.
Edwards and his mother Judy pitched to Shark Tank investors the “Squatty Potty” as a bowel elimination aid in 2015 where it ultimately became a runaway sales success.
In 2021, Aterian, Inc. purchased the patented device from its founders for $19 million in cash and it continues to market the device in several models that are protected by U.S. patents.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s announcement:
In March 2021, an undercover FBI agent assumed the identity of an online profile account and joined a group chat used to trade child sexual abuse material. The online meeting room was viewing a collection of child sexual abuse material videos, which were being streamed on the main screen. Participants in the meeting were visible, including one user later identified as Edwards.
As alleged in court documents, the investigation continued and in May 2025, FBI agents learned that Edwards was suspected of purchasing additional child sexual abuse material via his PayPal account, which flagged four transactions involving Edwards’ account as possibly related to CSAM.
In November of last year, law enforcement executed a search warrant, seizing a cell phone from Edward’s vehicle “which contained multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material,” according to prosecutors.
At his residence, authorities said they also seized “additional devices and found additional child sexual abuse material files.”
The entrepreneur was arrested in Washington County two days after a February 10 grand jury indictment, authorities said.
Edwards is charged with receipt of child pornography.
The inventor has pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail during his court appearance in St. George, the New York Post reported.
Edwards co-founded Squatty Potty in 2011 to address his mother’s constipation issues. The two of them pitched the footstool to investor Lori Greiner on Shark Tank.
In 2016, it was highlighted by Forbes as being one of the 10 best businesses to come through the show and was ranked second for having the most revenue in 2015, bringing in $18.7 million in sales.
Those sales and the purchase of the company turned the Edwards family into millionaires.
Edwards will return to court on March 2 for a detention hearing.
Veteran crime writer Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets , which documents one of the worst cases of child sex abuse in U.S. history, and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more
