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Former Fiancé of Representative Nancy Mace and Two Associates Charged With Sex Crimes in South Carolina
Just the facts
South Carolina state law enforcement agents charged 46-year-old John Douglas Osborne with first-degree assault and battery and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving an incapacitated woman at a home on Sullivan's Island in October 2018. Patrick Bryant, the 53-year-old former fiancé of Representative Nancy Mace, and 46-year-old Eric Bernard Bowman were each charged with voyeurism for allegedly recording and observing the encounter. Bowman faces additional charges of obstruction of justice and unlawful publication of a victim's identity after allegedly performing a factory reset on a subpoenaed smartphone and distributing identifying images online. Mace had previously detailed the allegations during an hour-long floor speech in the U.S. House of Representatives in February 2025, prompting the formal state police inquiry. Bryant previously denied the allegations and pledged cooperation with investigators.
Why this is news
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division filed criminal charges against three men following an investigation into an alleged 2018 assault detailed in a congressional speech by Representative Nancy Mace. Sworn affidavits submitted by state investigators outlined allegations of sexual assault, voyeurism, and evidence tampering against the defendants.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.