In the episode, it's implied that Novak is an expert in his field. My suspicion would be that he was a psychologist or maybe even a psychiatrist who specialized in hypnotherapy. He probably found there was more money for him as an entertainer than as a practicing therapist.
Of course, in reality, lowering mental barriers enough to be hypnotized is a voluntary action unless drugs, or other artificial means, are involved. And being a voluntary action, a person cannot be ordered to do anything they consider abhorrent.
Which means that an action committed under hypnosis is one the person wanted to do in the first place (at least on some level) and they simply wanted and needed external permission to do it.
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