Nancy Mace’s former fiancé among 3 charged in sexual assault case

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace’s former fiancé and two of his business associates were charged Wednesday with sex crimes and voyeurism in connection with an incident the South Carolina congresswoman described last year on the House floor while arguing that crimes against women are often mishandled.

What we know:

According to sworn statements from State Law Enforcement Division agents, John Douglas Osborne committed sex acts on a 23‑year‑old incapacitated and intoxicated woman while Mace’s ex‑fiancé, Patrick Bryant, and Eric Bernard Bowman watched. Agents said the men discussed beforehand who would assault the woman, took photos and recorded the attack, which was also visible on a home security feed at a residence on Sullivan’s Island, an affluent suburb of Charleston.

 

Dig deeper:

Investigators said the woman had fallen into a pool and later passed out on a couch, covering herself with a pillow. Another woman who happened to be monitoring the security feed saw the assault, took photos and documented what she witnessed in a journal, according to police. Mace and Bryant were not yet engaged at the time of the October 2018 incident.

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.

Bowman also faces an obstruction of justice charge after agents said he performed a factory reset on a cellphone he knew investigators were seeking under a search warrant. He was additionally charged with publishing the name of a victim of criminal sexual conduct after posting the woman’s name and a video of her on X.

Big picture view:

Mace, a South Carolina Republican, referenced the assault while urging colleagues to support a procedural vote last week. The remarks drew national attention and prompted her fiancé, software executive Patrick Bryant, to publicly question why she shared the story. Bryant later walked back the comments, saying he regretted how he handled the situation and supported Mace’s advocacy for survivors.

Mace said she has long been open about the assault, which occurred when she was a teenager, and argued that speaking about it in Congress was consistent with her efforts to strengthen protections for victims. She said the backlash underscored how often survivors face scrutiny when they come forward.

Bryant did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday. Attorneys previously listed as representing Bowman and Osborne in other matters did not immediately respond to inquiries.

 

Crime and Public Safety