The Utah entrepreneur who turned a toilet stool into a nationally known product now faces a federal child sexual abuse material charge. Robert “Bobby” Edwards, 50, co-creator of the Squatty Potty, was indicted on Feb. 10 and arrested two days later, according to the US attorney’s office in Utah. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of receipt of CSAM and is in federal custody pending a detention hearing set for Monday, reports ABC4.
Prosecutors say an FBI agent infiltrated an online group in 2021 that shared child sexual abuse material and later identified Edwards as a participant in a Zoom session streaming such content. Investigators allegedly tied Edwards’ PayPal account to purchases of CSAM and, after securing a warrant, found multiple illicit files on his phone and other devices, including material authorities say he bought via Telegram.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that in one chat, Edwards is said to have written, “Hey brother, Id love to perv but into most all jiust not into babies. 5+ is preferred[.]” Edwards told investigators he’d sold Squatty Potty, which went viral after he appeared on Shark Tank, in 2021; was living off the proceeds and a bitcoin stash; and had recently undergone rehab for methamphetamine addiction, court documents state. He also said he had “no recollection of viewing child pornography.”
