Politics · October 14, 2026
Ex-fiance of Nancy Mace and two others charged with sex crimes she detailed in House speech
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents have charged three men—Patrick Bryant, Eric Bernard Bowman, and John Douglas Osborne—with sex crimes and voyeurism related to a 2018 incident on Sullivan’s Island. The charges follow a 2025 House floor speech by Representative Nancy Mace, where she detailed finding a trove of non-consensual images and videos on Bryant's phone. Osborne faces charges of first-degree assault and battery and third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting an incapacitated woman while Bryant and Bowman watched and recorded, leading to their voyeurism charges. Bowman also faces obstruction of justice and other charges.
Read the original coverage
- The GuardianCenter-left
Ex-fiance of Nancy Mace and two others charged with sex crimes she detailed in House speech
Read at The Guardian ↗ - Just the NewsRight
Nancy Mace’s ex-fiance, two other men charged with sex crimes
Read at Just the News ↗ - The HillCenter
Nancy Mace's ex-fiance, 2 other men face sex crime charges after her accusations in House speech
Read at The Hill ↗ - New York PostRight
Nancy Mace’s ex-fiancé, 3 biz partners charged with sex crimes after rep exposed ‘depraved’ acts in bombshell House speech
Read at New York Post ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Patrick Bryant, Eric Bernard Bowman, and John Douglas Osborne have been arrested and charged in connection to a 2018 incident.
- The incident occurred on Sullivan’s Island and involved a 23-year-old woman who was intoxicated and incapacitated.
- Osborne is charged with first-degree assault and battery and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Bryant and Bowman are charged with voyeurism.
- The assault was allegedly recorded and also viewed via a security system feed by a female witness who took notes.
- Nancy Mace detailed these allegations in a 2025 House floor speech after discovering materials on Bryant's phone in 2023.
Reported by only some outlets
- Bowman is additionally charged with obstruction of justice for a factory reset of a phone and publishing a victim's name on X.
- Nancy Mace claimed she found approximately 10,000 videos and photos on Bryant's phone.
- Mace named a fourth man, Brian Musgrave, in her speech who has not been charged in relation to this incident.
- Mace recently introduced legislation to protect victims from retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
- Bryant previously sued Mace for defamation.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
The Guardian focuses on the broader legislative context, detailing Mace's advocacy for sexual assault victims and her specific proposals to protect them from retaliatory lawsuits. It emphasizes the 'broken systems' and 'loopholes' she aims to fix, framing the case as a success in her career-long priority of holding predators accountable.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
The New York Post utilizes more sensational descriptions of the congresswoman and the setting, referring to the speech as 'famous' or 'dramatic' and the neighborhood as 'uppity.' It focuses heavily on the graphic nature of the accusations and the personal history between Mace and Bryant.
Centrist outlets tend to focus on…
Just The News provides a procedural focus, noting the specific lack of direct evidence provided during the House speech and highlighting the legal protections Mace received under the Speech or Debate Clause. It frames the story through the lens of a criminal investigation catching up to public accusations.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.