Patrick Bryant, John Douglas Osborne: South Carolina Sex Crime Charges Filed

• Patrick Bryant, John Douglas Osborne, and Eric Bowman face sex crime and voyeurism charges related to an October 2018 incident.
• Osborne is accused of sexual acts with an incapacitated 23-year-old woman, while Bryant and Bowman allegedly recorded the acts.
• Eric Bowman also faces obstruction of justice and publishing a victim's name charges for deleting phone data and identifying the woman on social media.
• The charges follow U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace's February 2025 House floor speech where she accused state authorities of investigation delays.
• Mace, Bryant's ex-fiancé, ended their engagement in November 2023 after discovering evidence of recorded sexual exploitation involving multiple women.

The charges underscore the serious nature of offenses involving an incapacitated victim recording sex acts, particularly the South Carolina criminal sexual conduct statutes.

Charges have been brought against Patrick Bryant, the former fiancé of U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, alongside John Douglas Osborne and Eric Bernard Bowman, in connection with sex crimes and voyeurism. These charges stem from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of October 26, 2018, at a residence located on Sullivan’s Island. State authorities allege that Osborne, aged 46, engaged in fondling and oral sex with a 23-year-old woman who was incapacitated at the time. Concurrently, Bryant, 53, and Bowman, 46, are accused of recording these sex acts.

According to official complaints, the victim became severely intoxicated that night, subsequently falling into a pool at the property. She then removed most of her clothing and, covering herself with a pillow, lost consciousness on a couch. While the woman was unconscious, the three men reportedly discussed their intentions before agreeing that Osborne would engage in sexual activity with her. The events were observed by another woman through a home security video feed, who also overheard the men's conversations. This witness documented the incident by taking two photographs of the video feed and detailing the occurrence in an email.

The specific Patrick Bryant John Douglas Osborne sex crime charges include first-degree assault and battery and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for Osborne. Both Bryant and Bowman face charges of voyeurism. Additionally, Eric Bowman faces two further charges: obstruction of justice and publishing the name of a victim, which authorities attribute to his action of resetting his phone, thereby deleting its data, before submitting it to investigators. He is also accused of identifying the woman on the social media platform X. All three individuals have previously denied any assault against the woman.

These legal actions arrive nearly two years after U.S. Representative Nancy Mace publicly leveled accusations against the men during a speech delivered on the U.S. House floor in February 2025. During her address, Mace specifically criticized the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who was her former opponent in the South Carolina governor’s primary race, alleging that they had caused an undue SLED investigation delay. In response to these claims, SLED had previously issued a statement in December 2023, confirming that its agents had initiated an investigation into Bryant concerning suspicions of "assault, harassment and voyeurism."

The charges underscore the serious nature of offenses involving an incapacitated victim recording sex acts, particularly the South Carolina criminal sexual conduct statutes. Bowman's additional charges for obstruction of justice highlight the legal consequences of tampering with evidence, as he is accused of deleting data from his phone before handing it over to authorities. His charge for publishing the name of a victim further emphasizes the legal protections afforded to victims, particularly concerning their privacy in such sensitive cases. As of Wednesday, it remained unclear whether the accused individuals had secured legal representation.

The connections among the accused extend beyond the alleged incident. Bryant and Osborne are known as co-founders of The Harbor Entrepreneur Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial connections within the Charleston area. Bowman also holds a position on the non-profit's board. The relationship between Representative Mace and Patrick Bryant was public, with Mace announcing their engagement on social media in May 2022. However, their engagement concluded in November 2023, with Mace stating that the separation occurred after she discovered evidence suggesting Bryant and his business associates had recorded instances of sexual exploitation and assault involving multiple women.

Notably, a fourth man, who was also mentioned in Mace’s congressional speech, has not been charged in this case. This individual had previously initiated a libel suit against Mace last year, but a federal judge dismissed the case. The dismissal was based on the determination that Mace was immune from liability for statements made during official congressional proceedings. While Representative Mace, who is concluding her term in the House, did not issue a statement directly addressing the recent charges on Wednesday, she affirmed her commitment to advocating for legislation that protects victims and ensures accountability for predators. She emphasized, "Protecting women and holding predators accountable isn’t a slogan. It’s been one of my top priorities in Congress."

This case underscores the severe legal ramifications for individuals involved in sex crimes, particularly those involving incapacitated victims and digital voyeurism, and the potential for obstruction of justice charges. It highlights the importance of robust defense strategies in such complex cases, especially when digital evidence and high-profile connections are involved.

Source: Original reporting via state authorities and public records.