A search is continuing in Merrick to find a suspect who allegedly exposed himself to a 9-year-old before attacking her sister.

Police say the first victim was on her bike on the corner of Petit Avenue and Webster Street when she saw the man exposing himself. She then went home to tell her parents.

Two minutes later, the second victim rode her bike past the same man, who police say lunged at her, grabbed her shoulders and tried to pull her pants down.

The victim was able to get away.

Police describe the man as in his 20s with brown hair, wearing a black T-shirt, red pants, black sneakers and a paper mask. His bicycle was black with a white stripe and may have been motorized.

Nassau police asked Merrick residents Thursday for any information they may have in this ongoing case. They asked people to check home security systems for any video that could help them identify the suspect.

Police detectives have also been going door to door handing out flyers in hopes of finding the suspect.

The parents of the two girls spoke to News 12, and recounted the day the incident happened.

"We were right there on our stoop, we were right there, and my parents' house ... it's literally just this house in between," says the girls' father. "They're naive to this, they said the guy took out his thing and was playing with it on the corner, so immediately I got up and I ran outside and my other daughter came around the corner hysterically crying saying he tried to put his hand down my pants and he was touching me."

"I'm proud of my children, if anybody can get anything out of this, it's have the talk with your children," says the girls' mother. "They need to understand when they're uncomfortable and something like this happens to them, they need to contact their mom and their dad or anybody around."

Police say they do have leads in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Nassau's First Squad at 516-573-6153.

Police also released a surveillance photo of the suspect: