Ex-fiance of US Rep. Nancy Mace and 2 others charged with sex crimes she
detailed in a House speech
[October 15, 2026]
By MEG KINNARD and JEFFREY COLLINS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace's former fiance and two of
his business associates were charged with sex crimes and voyeurism on
Wednesday over an episode the South Carolina congresswoman described in
detail during a speech last year on the House floor about how crimes
against women are not investigated thoroughly.
John Douglas Osborne committed sex acts on a 23-year-old incapacitated
and intoxicated woman while Mace's ex-fiance Patrick Bryant and Eric
Bernard Bowman watched, according to sworn statements by agents from the
State Law Enforcement Division, which brought the charges.
The men talked about who would assault the woman beforehand, took photos
and recorded the assault, which was also seen on a security system feed
at the home in Sullivan's Island, an affluent suburb of Charleston,
state agents said. The woman had fallen into a pool and was passed out
on a couch covering herself with a pillow, agents said.
Another woman who happened to be watching the feed saw the assault and
took pictures and wrote about it in a journal, police said. Mace and
Bryant were not yet engaged at the time of the October 2018 assault.
Osborne, 46, is charged with first-degree assault and battery and two
counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bryant, 53, and Bowman,
46, are each charged with voyeurism.
Along with the voyeurism charge, Bowman was also charged with
obstruction of justice after agents said he did a factory reset on a
cellphone he knew investigators were seeking in a search warrant, and
with publishing the name of a victim of criminal sexual conduct after
posting the victim’s name and a video of her on X.
Bryant didn't return a message seeking comment on Wednesday, and
attorneys who have been listed as representing Bowman and Osborne in
other cases did not immediately return messages.
[to top of second column]
|
Mace, a Republican, described the assault at length in a nearly hourlong
speech in February 2025 that named the men and described other photos
and videos found when she looked at Bryant's cellphone when they were
still together.
Mace said she “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.”
At the time, Bryant completely denied the allegations. “I take this
matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal
processes to clear my name,” he told The Associated Press.
The State Law Enforcement Division didn't say if their investigation
into any of the men is continuing.
After the arrests, Mace released a statement detailing the 25 bills she
says will protect victims of sexual assault, harassment or
discrimination, including in retaliatory defamation and libel lawsuits
that may result from allegations they bring to light.
The Republican, who is leaving the House this term after losing her bid
to be South Carolina governor, introduced a proposal this week to
require that anyone who brings such a case and loses must pay attorney
fees for the defendant.
“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.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
