Ex-Fiance of Rep. Nancy Mace and Two Others Charged in Sex Crimes

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace's former fiance and two of his business associates have been charged with sex crimes and voyeurism, authorities announced Wednesday. The charges are related to an incident that Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, described in detail during a House floor speech last year concerning the investigation of crimes against women.

According to sworn statements from agents of the State Law Enforcement Division, John Douglas Osborne committed sex acts on a 23-year-old incapacitated and intoxicated woman while Mace's ex-fiance Patrick Bryant and associate Eric Bernard Bowman watched. The agents' statements indicated that the men discussed the assault beforehand and took photos and recorded the incident, which was also observed on a security system feed at a home in Sullivan's Island, a suburb of Charleston.

Osborne, 46, faces charges of first-degree assault and battery and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bryant, 53, and Bowman, 46, are each charged with voyeurism.

Bowman also faces charges of obstruction of justice for allegedly performing a factory reset on a cellphone that investigators were seeking via a search warrant. He is additionally charged with publishing the name of a victim of criminal sexual conduct after posting the victim's name and a video of her on the social media platform X.

Mace's office stated that she and Bryant were not engaged at the time of the October 2018 assault. Attorneys for Bowman and Osborne did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a February speech, Mace described the incident, naming the men involved and detailing other photos and videos she found when examining Bryant's cellphone. She stated at the time, "accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable. We're talking about rape, non-consensual photos, non-consensual videos of women and underage girls, and the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls in my district."

Bryant had previously denied the allegations, stating, "I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name."

The State Law Enforcement Division has not indicated whether its investigation into the men is ongoing.

Following the arrests, Mace released a statement outlining 25 proposed bills aimed at protecting victims of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination. One proposal would require individuals who lose such cases to pay the defendant's attorney fees. "Protecting women and holding predators accountable isn’t a slogan. It’s been one of my top priorities in Congress. For too long, survivors have faced broken systems while predators exploited loopholes and walked free," Mace said in her statement. Mace is not seeking re-election to the House at the end of her current term.