Carlito Raistrick struck off as a lawyer

A former Brisbane lawyer who was jailed for the indecent treatment of a child on the Sunshine Coast, has been struck off after he failed to report his convictions.

Carlito Raistrick, also known as Carl Desacola, has been struck off as a lawyer after failing to report serious criminal convictions. INSET: Carlito Raistrick.

A former Brisbane lawyer has been struck off after he failed to report a serious conviction involving the indecent treatment of a child on the Sunshine Coast more than five years ago.

Former Brisbane lawyer Carlito Raistrick, who also goes by Carlito Desacola, faced five charges brought by the Legal Services Commissioner in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal in Brisbane late last year.

The charges stemmed from his failure to correctly report a conviction for indecent treatment of an 11-year-old girl in 2017, for which he was sentenced in the District Court of Queensland at Maroochydore in 2021.

The second of the five charges brought against Raistrick stated that in 2018 he failed to give notice to the Queensland Law Society that he had been charged with two serious offences, one of which was not pursued.

Charges three to five alleged Raistrick had failed to provide a written statement to the Queensland Law Society informing them of his conviction as well as an adequate reason he was a fit and proper person to continue to hold his local practising certificate.

According to court documents, Raistrick told the court the criminal charges and work obligations meant he had forgotten to correctly report his conviction to the Queensland Law Society.

Raistrick also told the court his immediate imprisonment prevented him from providing a written statement regarding his conviction, adding that during his trial he had admitted to the allegations and mentioned the consequences the charges were going to have on his professional life.

Raistrick was convicted of one charge of indecent treatment of child under 12 years of age between September 28, 2017 and October 3, 2017 at Kenilworth on the Sunshine Coast.

The sentencing judge at the time described Raistrick’s actions as “brazen and opportunistic”.

Raistrick was sentenced to 12-month in jail to be suspended after serving six months on February 22, 2021.

The Tribunal, led by the honourable Peter Lyons KC, ordered on July 27, 2023 Raistrick’s name be removed from the local roll of persons admitted to the legal profession.