U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Three of the four men accused by Representative Nancy Mace of sex crimes have been arrested in South Carolina in connection with the alleged 2018 sexual assault of a woman on Sullivan’s Island. The fourth man, Brian Musgrave, was also initially accused, but some prosecutors argue his name should never have been linked to the crime.
One of the men charged, 53-year-old Patrick Bryant, was previously engaged to Mace. Bryant was charged with one count of voyeurism. Another man, 46-year-old Eric Bowman, was also charged with voyeurism, obstruction of justice, and publishing the name of a victim of criminal sexual conduct. The third man, 46-year-old John Osbourne, was charged with assault and battery in the first degree and two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree. Musgrave was not officially charged after it was determined that there was no evidence of his involvement, despite him being associated in some way with the three men charged.
According to ABC 4, Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson reviewed the case. In her review, she writes: "[Mace's] spurious claims against [Musgrave] demonstrate the severe credibility complications that taint some of the evidence underlying other allegations.” The report notes that Wilson pledged she was not conducting her own investigation, giving suggestions to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to make any arrests, or making any determination as to whether probable cause existed to support an arrest.
Per Wilson, the SLED investigative report offered "zero evidence" that Musgrave committed any crime because "zero evidence" was presented, nor was there any allegation ever made against him. "Nancy Mace only provided you questions and suppositions as to Musgrave’s involvement in crimes she claims have been committed by his friends and colleagues," she wrote, adding the congresswoman publicly labelled the man a "criminal and a predator" despite "the lack of even a scintilla of evidence" against him.
According to the allegations, the woman had been drinking and fell into a swimming pool at a Sullivan’s Island home, leaving her clothes wet. She undressed and fell asleep on a couch, covering herself with a pillow. While she was unconscious, Bryant, Bowman, and Osborne allegedly agreed that Osborne would have sex with the “mentally incapacitated and physically helpless” woman while the two men observed. A witness monitoring the home’s security camera feed reportedly overheard their conversation and saw Bowman and Bryant taking photos and/or videos of the woman. While watching the live feed, the witness also allegedly observed Osborne digitally penetrating, kissing, and performing oral sex on the victim.
Because of her unconscious state, the woman was unable to consent. Per Live 5 News, the alleged victim was 23 at the time of the assault. In a statement read in court by a SLED representative, the alleged victim revealed that she had not learned she was assaulted until 2024 and has PTSD related to the incident. In 2025, Bowman’s Sullivan’s Island home was the subject of a SLED search warrant where phones were seized as part of the investigation.
Mace accused all four men of playing various roles in the assault in 2025 in a speech she gave on the House floor in Washington, D.C. Bowman was arrested on a separate domestic violence-related charge in 2025.
Mace was not present during the recent court hearing. However, she says she remains a victims' rights advocate.