EXCLUSIVE

R. Kelly Owes Nearly $200k in Child Support ... Pay Up or Go to Jail!!!

If R. Kelly wasn't about to surrender to police, he might end up in jail anyway ... because a judge is fed up with his failure to pay a ton of child support to his ex-wife.

A Cook County judge found R. Kelly in contempt earlier this month -- according to docs obtained by TMZ -- because he owes Drea Kelly $169,996 in support. The court says he was supposed to be paying her $20,833 per month as of January 2009 -- but he's obviously fallen off schedule in the last year.

The court order states R. Kelly needs to pay up by March 6, or he'll be locked up in County Jail. Obviously, the singer may see that as a moot point ... after he was hit with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse on Friday. As we reported, Kelly is expected to surrender Friday night.

Make no mistake, it's no longer just raining ... it's an all out downpour in his world.

For what it's worth ... he actually owes even more -- $194,045.70. That number includes interest and education and health care costs for the 3 kids he and Drea have together.

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