A federal indictment has been unsealed in Utah against Robert Edwards, a 50-year-old resident of Ivins and the original co-founder and creator of the “Squatty Potty.” Edwards faces charges for allegedly receiving sexually explicit images of a child.
The indictment was issued by a federal grand jury on February 10, 2026. Edwards was arrested two days later in Washington County, Utah. During his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in St. George, he pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Court documents allege that from March 2021 through November 2025, Edwards knowingly received multiple images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The investigation began when an undercover FBI agent joined an online group chat used to trade CSAM in March 2021. According to authorities, participants were visible during a session where such material was streamed, and one user was later identified as Edwards.
Further investigation revealed that in May 2025, agents suspected Edwards had purchased additional CSAM using his PayPal account after four transactions were flagged as possibly related to illegal content. On November 4, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Edwards’s person and residence. Agents seized a cell phone from his vehicle containing multiple videos and images of CSAM—some downloaded just weeks prior—and found more files on other devices at his home.
Edwards is charged with receipt of child pornography. His detention hearing is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street in St. George.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak announced the charges.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and its St. George Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
“An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
