Ex-Fiance of Rep. Nancy Mace Charged With Sex Crimes
The charges stem from an incident the South Carolina congresswoman detailed in a speech last year about how crimes against women are not always investigated thoroughly.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace’s former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, and two of his business associates have been charged with sex crimes and voyeurism, authorities announced Wednesday. The charges relate to an incident that Mace, a Republican, described in detail during a speech on the House floor last year.
According to sworn statements from agents of the State Law Enforcement Division, John Douglas Osborne allegedly committed sex acts on a 23-year-old incapacitated and intoxicated woman while Bryant and Eric Bernard Bowman watched. The agents stated that the men discussed the assault beforehand, took photos, and recorded the incident. The woman had reportedly fallen into a pool and was found unconscious on a couch.
Another woman, who was observing a security feed of the home in Sullivan’s Island, a Charleston suburb, witnessed the assault and documented it. Mace and Bryant were not engaged at the time of the October 2018 assault.
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 sought by investigators and for publishing the name and a video of a victim of criminal sexual conduct online.
Bryant did not respond to a request for comment. Attorneys previously listed for Bowman and Osborne did not immediately return messages.
In February 2025, Mace recounted the assault during a nearly hour-long speech, naming the men involved and describing other photos and videos she found on Bryant's cellphone. At the time, Bryant denied the allegations, stating he would cooperate with legal processes to clear his name.
The State Law Enforcement Division has not indicated whether its investigation into any of the men is ongoing.
Following the arrests, Mace released a statement outlining 25 bills she has introduced aimed at protecting victims of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination. These proposals include measures addressing retaliatory defamation and libel lawsuits that may arise from allegations brought forward by survivors. Mace, who is leaving the House this term, has stated that protecting women and holding predators accountable has been a top priority during her tenure in Congress, asserting that survivors have encountered systemic failures while predators have exploited legal loopholes.
One of Mace’s legislative proposals, introduced this week, would require individuals who lose such cases to cover the attorney fees for the defendant.